Two deserter police officers killed in Jammu gunfight

Jammu: Two Special Police Officers (SPOs), who had run away from their jobs along with their weapons, were killed on Thursday in a gunfight with security forces in the Jammu region, police said.

"Gul Mohammad and Riaz Ahmed, who had deserted on September 9 this year along with two rifles, were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Bagwa village of Doda district today (Thursday)," a police officer told IANS here.

Defence spokesman Captain S.N. Acharya told IANS here that one AK 47 rifle and one INSAS rifle was recovered from their possession.

In most cases, SPOs are chosen from among unemployed youth and former militants.