Militants abduct, kill two village defence guards in Kishtwar

Two villagers, believed to be members of a Village Defence Group (VDG), were abducted and brutally killed by terrorists in the Kishtwar area of Jammu division on Thursday morning, said an official.

The victims, Nazir Ahmed and Kuldeep Kumar, both residents of Ohli Kuntwara, are learnt to have been blindfolded before being shot.

The families of the victims approached the police when the duo failed to return home by afternoon. The police came to know about the deaths through photos posted on social media by terror group Kashmir Tigers, an offshoot of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). The bodies, however, are yet to be recovered.

Kishtwar Senior Superintendent of Police Abdul Qayoom confirmed to The Tribune that the families of Nazir and Kuldeep had lodged a missing report with the police.

From the photos, it appeared both were tortured before being killed, said an official. Sources said the police and the Army had launched a search operation to recover the bodies. In a statement released on the X handle of the National Conference, party president Farooq Abdullah and Chief Minister and vice-president Omar Abdullah condemned the killings. “Such acts of barbaric violence remain a significant impediment in achieving long-lasting peace in J&K. In this hour of grief, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased,” the statement read.

Encounter breaks out in Sopore

Srinagar: An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in north Kashmir’s Sopore on Thursday evening, said officials. According to the Army, based on specific intelligence “regarding the presence of terrorists”, a joint operation was launched along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police in Panipura (Sopore) in Baramulla district. “Suspicious activity was observed by vigilant troops and on being challenged, terrorists opened indiscriminate fire, which was effectively retaliated,” the Army wrote on its X handle. — OC