J&K: Bodies Of 2 Village Defence Guards Recovered In Kishtwar, Protests Erupt As Search For Terrorists Underway

The Army and Special Operations Group (SOG) carefully retrieved the bodies after the search operation, which are now being transported to the victims' homes.

Jammu & Kashmir Police personnel along with Villager Defence Guard (VDG) members conduct a search operation after two VDC members were killed by terrorists, near International Border on the outskirts of Jammu, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.

Source : PTI

The bodies of two village defence guards (VDG) killed by terrorists in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir were recovered near a rivulet on Friday amid a search operation, officials said. A large-scale cordon-and-search operation is currently underway in Kishtwar to locate the terrorists responsible for the attack.

According to a report by news agency PTI, Officials stated that the two VDGs were abducted and killed by terrorists on Thursday in the upper areas of Kishtwar district. Their bodies were found near a rivulet in the Pondgwari region of the Keshwan belt.

The Army and Special Operations Group (SOG) carefully retrieved the bodies after the search operation, which are now being transported to the victims' homes, the officials added.

A joint search operation with the police, Army, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been launched in a dense forest area after the gruesome killings. The incident has been widely condemned by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and leaders from the People's Democratic Party, Congress, and the BJP.

The search is focused on the hilly regions of Kuntwara, Ohli, and Munzla Dhar, with additional forces sent in this morning, according to the officials.

Security forces have ramped up their efforts, using drones and sniffer dogs, while a helicopter was seen flying over the forested area, they said. "Two VDG members, Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar from Ohli-Kuntwara, went missing in the upper reaches while grazing livestock," a police spokesperson said.

Later, Photographs of their bodies were circulated on social media, and their families have confirmed their identities, the spokesperson added.

Kashmir Tigers Claims Responsibility For Attack

Officials reported that Ahmad and Kumar had gone to graze cattle in the Munzla Dhar forest area of Adhwari but did not return. Police teams initiated a search after reports of their abduction and subsequent killing by terrorists.

"My brother and Nazir were abducted and killed by terrorists. They were village defence guards and had gone to graze cattle as usual," Kumar''s brother Prithvi, told news agency PTI.

He added that the family is devastated, as Kumar's death comes just a week after the passing of their father, Amar Chand. According to a local source who wished to remain anonymous, the village learned about the murders when the terrorists used the victims' phones to share photos of the execution.

Kashmir Tigers, a faction of the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad, claimed responsibility for the attack, posting images of the victims with blindfolds.

Kishtwar and other districts in the Jammu region, including Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, and Kathua, have experienced an increase in terror attacks this year. Security agencies attribute this spike to efforts by cross-border handlers to revive militancy in the otherwise peaceful area.

On Friday, residents in various parts of Kishtwar took to the streets to protest the killings, demanding the "immediate elimination" of the terrorists involved to restore public confidence. Hundreds of protesters gathered in the Drabshalla area, burning tyres and blocking roads.