Alarm bells have started ringing for Jammu and Kashmir police after a group of heavily-armed militants stormed the residence of a senior police officer and threatened the inmates of serious consequences if their ward did not quit his job.

The incident occurred on Saturday night when over a dozen militants entered the house of a deputy superintendent of police in South Kashmir's Shopian district and ransacked the property. The officer, who is posted in Srinagar, was not present in the house when the incident occurred.

Sources said at least six militants entered the house and damaged household goods while their associates stood guard outside. They threatened the inmates to ask the officer to quit or to face the consequences, before fleeing the scene.

Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, SP Vaid said if a policeman has a family, so do terrorists. "Remember, terrorists too have a family," he said.

During the last year's summer unrest, posters had surfaced in some localities asking the cops to resign or face social boycott. Such was the threat that two Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Sopore publicly announced their resignation.

A family of a police officer had even approached Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani seeking forgiveness for their son who was deployed for maintaining law and order in south Kashmir last year. Later, mysterious posters of hitherto unknown Sangbaz (stone pelters) Coordination Committee surfaced in a Srinagar locality, threatening to attack the family of a police officer.

Militant threats notwithstanding, thousands on Tuesday attended the rally of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar. Mehbooba said around 12 youth who had joined militancy had been brought back to their homes in Kashmir.