Security forces have intensified the operation against militants involved in the killing of two Village Defence Guards (VDGs) in Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir.
Two VDGs, Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar of Kuntwara were killed by militants when they had gone to graze the cattle in the Munjla Dhar area of Kishtwar.
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Their bodies were recovered near a rivulet with signs of torture. A pall of gloom fell in their native village when their bodies reached home.
After the incident, the security forces intensified the search operation against the militants using sniffer dogs, helicopters and drones. Special forces were also air-dropped to aid the operation.
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Senior police officers including J&K DGP Nalin Prapbah also visited Kishtwar to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, protests were held against the killings in Kishtwar and neighbouring areas against the killing. Shops, businesses and schools also remained closed in the area. Protests were also held in Jammu, Udhampur, Samba, Kathua, and Reasi.
The Sanatan Dharam Sabha led a women-centred protest in Kishtwar town, where demonstrators burned Pakistani flags and demanded an intensified crackdown on terrorists.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the killing and said that he was “deeply” saddened and concerned by the attack.
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“Deeply saddened & concerned by the attack that resulted in the deaths of Kuldeep Kumar & Nazeer Ahmed Padder of Kuntwara in Kishtwar, members of the local village defence committee. The terrorists killed two innocent men who had taken their livestock to graze,” Abdullah wrote on X.
“I condemn this attack unequivocally & send my condolences to the families. At the same time, I expect the security forces to move quickly to plug any gaps in our counter-terror grid & ensure that attacks like this stop completely” J&K Lieutenant Governor (LG) Manoj Sinha also condemned the killing.
Sinha paid homage to the two deceased and reiterated the government’s resolve to avenge the killings. The killing of VDGs has come in the wake of a spike in militant attacks in Kashmir after the NC-Congress government was sword in.
