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)