Two village defence guards shot dead by militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar

Srinagar: Two village defence guards (VDGs) were reportedly shot dead by militants after being kidnapped from their homes in the hilly Kishtwar district of Jammu region on Thursday.

The victims, identified as Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar, were reportedly kidnapped from their residences in a remote village of Kishtwar district by a group of armed militants. According to sources, the militants shot dead them in Kuntwara forest area of Kishtwar.

A local English daily—Rising Kashmir—quoting an unnamed senior police officer said the bodies of the guards have been recovered and a massive search operation has been launched by security forces in the area.

VDGs, previously known as Village Defence Committees (VDCs), were set-up in the mid-1990s as a countermeasure to militant attacks, acting as a force multiplier in vulnerable areas.

During the peak of militancy, particularly in Jammu's Chenab Valley (Doda-Kishtwar), Pir Panjal (Rajouri-Poonch) regions, and the hilly terrains of Udhampur, Reasi, and Kathua districts, the VDCs played a crucial role in supporting security forces and combating insurgency.

While the VDCs contributed significantly to security in these regions, they were also marred by allegations of human rights abuses, including accusations of murder, rape, and extortion. These concerns led to calls for reform and greater oversight.

The VDCs have now been renamed as Village Defence Guards (VDG). The new scheme to set up VDGs in vulnerable areas of J&K was approved by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in March 2022. The VDGs will function under the direction of the district superintendents of police, with a focus on strengthening community-based security in areas that remain vulnerable to militant activity.

The Indian Army conducts training camps for VDGs consisting of weapons training and intelligence gathering basics.