Village Defence Guards armed with modern weapons: Union Minister Jitendra Singh in Jammu

Kathua,August 4 : Union Minister Jitendra Singh has said that Village Defence Guards (VDGs) have been equipped with modern weapons to counter the increasing number of terror incidents in the Jammu region.

“The government has taken several steps to tackle the rise in terror attacks. One of them is the revival of VDGs (Village Defence Guards) and the modernization of their weapons. The Army has also changed its strategy, which cannot be made public,” Singh said while speaking at an event titled ‘Empowering Youth for Viksit Bharat’ programme in Jammu division’s Kathua on Saturday.

His comments follow an increase in terrorist activities, particularly in the Jammu region, over the last few months.

In July, Jitendra Singh announced that VDGs are being revived in militancy-infested areas to empower them to fight terrorists.

“The government has also decided that, if and wherever needed, VDGs will be deployed as part of a multi-pronged strategy to confront the challenge posed by terrorists,” he added.

Singh also mentioned that weapons, including SLR rifles, may be provided to the VDGs to help them tackle the challenge effectively.

Last month, one Pakistani intruder was killed as Indian Army troops foiled an attack by the Pakistan Border Action Team (BAT) along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Machchal sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. One Indian Army soldier lost his life, while four others, including a major-rank officer, sustained injuries in the attack.

In recent months, there has been a spike in terror attacks in the Jammu region, including an attack on an army convoy in Kathua and encounters in Doda and Udhampur.

In July, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Lok Sabha that a total of 28 people, including civilians and security personnel, were killed in 11 terror-related incidents and 24 encounters or counter-terror operations up to July 21 this year.