Army Trains Vdgs In Doda Amid Ongoing Chenab Valley Ops

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Bhaderwah/Jammu- Amid an intensive counter-terrorist operation in the higher reaches of Chenab valley, the Army has also stepped up efforts to strengthen grassroots security by imparting training to Village Defence Guards (VDGs) in Doda district, officials said on Tuesday.

Around 150 VDGs from 17 remote villages along the Doda-Chamba border, including women volunteers, are undergoing intensive training in handling automatic rifles, minor tactics, self-defence, bunker construction and repelling enemy attacks, they said.

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The villages are located near the forested and mountainous areas where security forces are currently conducting extensive search operations in view of suspected terrorist movement.

The training is being conducted at Shingini panchayat of Bhalessa, around 90 km from the Doda district headquarters, to equip volunteers with the necessary skills to protect their villages and act as a first line of defence, especially in vulnerable areas, an official said.

He said the move complements the ongoing operation by the Army, police and paramilitary forces in the higher reaches to track down and neutralise the terrorists who had managed to infiltrate into Chenab valley, especially Doda and Kishtwar districts, a couple of years back.

According to officials, the VDGs welcomed the training and the recent upgradation of their weaponry. They expressed gratitude to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for providing self-loading rifles (SLRs), replacing the older.303 rifles, which they said, has significantly boosted their confidence.

“This is a major programme bringing together members from 17 Village Defence Groups. We are being trained in weapon handling, bunker construction and self-defence. Receiving such training at our doorstep is highly appreciable,” Surinder Singh, a VDG member from Shingani, said.

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