The merciless killing of two Village Defence Group (VDG) members in the higher reaches of the Kishtwar district in the Jammu region has shaken the top brass of the security establishment, close on the heels of multiple attacks on the security forces and migrant workers since the formation of Omar Abdullah led popular government in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. So far a total number of 10 incidents of terrorist violence have been reported across different areas of Jammu and Kashmir since October 16.

Meanwhile, the dead bodies of two  VDGs killed by

terrorists were recovered on Friday from near a rivulet in the Pondgwari area in the Keshwan belt.  “Two VDG members, Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar from Ohli-Kuntwara, went missing in the upper reaches while grazing livestock,” a police spokesperson said.

“My brother and Nazir were abducted and killed by terrorists. They were village defence guards and had gone to graze cattle as usual,” Kuldeep Kumar’s brother Prithvi, told a news agency. These VDGs form the backbone of the security grid in the entire Jammu region. By targeting them, terrorist handlers aim to demotivate them against participating in the ongoing anti-terrorist operations launched in the region to flush them out of their safe hideouts.

According to official sources, over 4,100 VDGs and 32,000 SPOs were engaged in Jammu and Kashmir, with different responsibilities for the protection of civilians and anti-terrorist operations under the direct supervision of district Superintendents of Police (SP).

A massive cordon-and-search operation is also underway in Kishtwar to track down the terrorists responsible for the killings. The operation is concentrated in the Kuntwara, Ohli, and Munzla Dhar hilly areas of Kishtwar.

Director General J and K Police Nalin Prabhat and Additional Director General of Police Jammu Anand Jain visited Kishtwar to review ongoing operations on Friday. White Knight Corps Commander Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva also landed in Kishtwar and held a meeting with the Director General J and K Police to chalk out their counter strategy.

On ground zero, tension prevailed in the Kishtwar district as many residents including women joined protest demonstrations during the day-long bandh call given by the Sanatan Dharam Sabha. People in various areas of Kishtwar took to the streets to protest against the killings.

The protesters demanded “immediate elimination” of the terrorists involved in the killings to restore confidence among the local population.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and leaders from the People’s Democratic Party, Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the VDG members’ killing.

Meanwhile, in Kashmir, a joint team of security forces Friday eliminated two more terrorists in the Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district in an overnight operation. The police authorities are yet to ascertain the identity of the slain terrorists.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Sopore Divya D said, “Last night we received information about the presence of terrorists in the Panipura area of Sopore.  We immediately launched a cordon and search operation along with the Indian army. To prevent any collateral damage we shifted the local villagers to safer locations. During searches in the area, suspicious activity was observed by vigilant troops, and on being challenged terrorists opened indiscriminate fire. The operation was halted at night and resumed with the first light early Friday morning.  In the ensuing firefight, two terrorists were eliminated. The security forces recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the encounter site.”