Protests in Kishtwar, other areas
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 8: Bodies of two Village Defence Guards (VDGs), who were martyred in a terror attack at Munjla Dhar in Kuntwara area of Kishtwar district yesterday, were recovered this afternoon from near a rivulet where they had been brutally killed.
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Army, paramilitary forces and police have stepped up operations in the forests of Kuntwara to track down the terrorists involved in the killings. Special Forces of the Army have also been airdropped in some of the areas.
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Bodies of the VDGs identified as Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar of Ohli, Kuntwara are being brought to their houses.
Their hands had been tied and they were brutally killed by the terrorists. Both appeared to have been shot dead from point blank range after torture.
DGP Nalin Prabhat along with senior police and Army officers visited Kishtwar for on spot assessment of the situation.
According to officials, the two VDGs were executed by terrorists yesterday after being abducted in the higher reaches of Munjla Dhar in Kishtwar district. Their bodies were spotted lying near a rivulet in the Pondgwari area in Keshwan belt.
The Army and Special Operations Group (SOG), after locating the bodies, carefully conducted an operation to recover them, the officials said, adding that the bodies are being transported to the deceased’s homes in the district.
The search operation is concentrated in the Kuntwara, Ohli, and Munjla Dhar hilly areas, with reinforcements dispatched early this morning, the officials said.
Security forces have intensified efforts, deploying drones and sniffer dogs, with a helicopter seen hovering over the forested area this morning, they added.
“Two VDG members, Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar from Ohli-Kuntwara, went missing in the upper reaches while grazing livestock,” a police spokesperson said.
Photographs of their bodies later circulated on social media, and family members have confirmed their identities, the spokesperson added.
The officials reported that Ahmad and Kumar had gone to graze cattle in the Munjla Dhar forest in Adhwari but did not return. Police teams spread out to locate them amid reports of their abduction and subsequent killing by terrorists.
He added that the family is in deep shock as Kumar’s killing follows their father Amar Chand’s death only a week ago.
The village learned of the killings when terrorists used the victims’ phones to share pictures of their execution.
Kishtwar, along with other districts in the Jammu region such as Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Doda and Kathua, has seen a rise in terror attacks this year, attributed by security agencies to attempts by cross-border handlers to revive militancy in the otherwise peaceful region.
Meanwhile, people in various areas of Kishtwar took to the streets this morning to protest against the killings.
The protesters demanded “immediate elimination” of the terrorists involved in the killings to restore confidence among the local population. Hundreds gathered in the Drabshalla area of the district, burning tyres and blocking roads.
All shops and businesses were closed and traffic was off the road in the district, while there was thin attendance in schools and other educational institutions.
Protests were also reported from Kuntwara, Thakurie, Paddar and other areas early this morning, with slogans of ‘Pakistan Murdabad’ being raised and a sit-in on the roads.
As the news spread about the killings, hundreds gathered in the Drabshalla area of the district, chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, and burning tyres and blocking roads. They also raised slogans against Pakistan and terrorists.
In the Kishtwar town, a women-led protest march was organised by the Sanatan Dharam Sabha. They sat on a dharna at the main chowk, burning tyres and the Pakistani flag.
“We want decisive action against Pakistan, its terrorists and its ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. There should be massive crackdown to eradicate terrorists and its supporters,” said Satoshi Devi, one of the protestors.
Drabshalla resident Kuldeep Singh said, “This kind of incident has not happened in this area for a long time. The victims were grazing their cattle when terrorists kidnapped and killed them. This is an act of cowardice. We cannot tolerate this. People stand firmly against terrorism.”
“We demand a massive operation to eliminate the terrorists involved in this act. Security forces should sweep the entire hills so that people feel safe to go out to graze cattle in these areas,” he added.
The Sanatan Dharam Sabha urged the general public in Kishtwar to fully support the bandh call and keep all their business establishments, educational institutions and shops closed.
Protests were also held in Jammu, Udhampur, Samba, Kathua and Reasi districts against the killings.
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