Srinagar:

Two village defence guards have been kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district. The attack comes days after at least 12 people were injured in a grenade attack at a Sunday market in Srinagar.

Officials said Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar were kidnapped from the Munzla Dhar forest in Adhwari on Thursday and then shot dead. “A massive search operation has been launched to hunt down the terrorists,” said an official.

“We have received information that my brother and Ahmad were abducted and killed by terrorists. They were village defence guards (VDGs) and had gone to graze cattle, as usual,” Kumar’s brother, Prithvi, told news agency PTI.

Kashmir Tigers, an offshoot of Jaish-e-Mohammad, has claimed responsibility for the killings. It also shared photos of the bodies with their eyes blindfolded.

The killings were condemned by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and leaders from the Congress and the BJP.

Lieutenant Governor Sinha wrote on X, “No words are strong enough to condemn the heinous terrorist attack on VDG members in Kishtwar. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of brave sons martyred in this cowardly attack. We are firmly resolved to destroy all terror outfits & avenge this barbaric act.”

No words are strong enough to condemn the heinous terrorist attack on VDG members in Kishtwar. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of brave sons martyred in this cowardly attack. We are firmly resolved to destroy all terror outfits & avenge this barbaric act.

— Office of LG J&K (@OfficeOfLGJandK) November 7, 2024

The National Conference said both Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and party chief Farooq Abdullah have condemned the killings.

“JKNC President Dr Farooq Abdullah and VP & Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah have condemned the gruesome killing of two village defence guards in Kishtwar namely Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar, in a forest area. They have said that such acts of barbaric violence remain a significant impediment in achieving long lasting peace in J&K. In this hour of grief, their thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased,” the party’s handle posted on X

JKNC President Dr Farooq Abdullah and VP & Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah have condemned the gruesome killing of two village defence guards in Kishtwar namely Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar, in a forest area. They have said that such acts of barbaric violence remain a significant…

— JKNC (@JKNC_) November 7, 2024

An encounter also broke out in north Kashmir’s Sopore on Thursday after security forces launched an anti-terrorist operation. Sources said two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped.

Chief Minister’s Appeal

After the explosion in Srinagar on Sunday, Chief Minister Abdullah had urged security forces to do “everything possible” to end a surge in attacks in the Union Territory at the earliest.

“The last few days have been dominated by headlines of attacks and encounters in parts of the valley. Today’s news of a grenade attack on innocent shoppers at the ‘Sunday market’ in Srinagar is deeply disturbing. There can be no justification for targeting innocent civilians. The security apparatus must do everything possible to end this spurt of attacks at the earliest so that people can go about their lives without any fear,” Mr Abdullah had said in a post on X.

Two migrant workers were also shot at in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam last week. Three attacks on migrant workers had taken place in less than a fortnight before that, the deadliest of which was the killing of seven people, including a local doctor and two workers from Bihar, at a tunnel construction site in Ganderbal district on October 20.

(With inputs from PTI)

An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Sopore. The forces have cordoned off the Watergam area of Sopore and a search is on, the Kashmir Zone police said.

More details are awaited.

Earlier this week, an encounter broke out in the Union Territory’s Udhampar region where a paramilitary officer from CRPF was killed in action after the terrorists fired upon a patrol party. Inspector Kuldeep Kumar from 187 Batallion of CRPF suffered gunshot wounds in the attack. 

Rise In Terror Attacks In Jammu And Kashmir

There has been a spurt of terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir. On August 14, an army officer, Captain Deepak Singh, was killed in action after an encounter broke out in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda. A civilian was also injured in the incident. The officer suffered gunshot wounds in a forested area during a cordon-and-search operation in the Shivgarh-Assar belt.

Earlier this month, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level meeting over rising terror attacks in the Union Territory after back-to-back encounters and ambushes took place. The meeting was held at the South Block in Delhi, with NSA Ajit Doval and Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi. 

On August 10, two soldiers and a civilian were killed during a gunfight between terrorists and security forces in Anantnag. The region has witnessed attacks on an army convoy in Kathua, skirmishes in Doda and Udhampur, and a failed attack by the Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district’s Machchal sector.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-related incidents and 24 counter-terror operations up to July 21 this year. 

Action Plan

 The government, while maintaining a focus on securing the Kashmir Valley, has also recognised the need to bolster security in the Jammu region. This has resulted in the mobilisation of additional forces for deployment in key areas.

One of the primary objectives of the government’s new security strategy is to plug infiltration routes used by terrorists to enter Jammu and Kashmir.

Security audits conducted by various agencies identified about two dozen sectors along the Line of Control (LOC) in the valley and the international border in the Jammu sector. Terrorists often take help from local guides to cross over. 

The terrorists are equipped with sophisticated weapons like the American-made M4 assault ride with an infrared thermal sight and are trained in jungle warfare. Terrorists infiltrate by foot and the government has initiated a project to fence the borders however the progress has been slow with only 70 kilometres being covered out of 180 kilometres.