Paramilitary Forces Train J&K Defence Volunteers

The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government has reactivated armed volunteer groups known as Village Defence Committees (VDCs) after the militants killed more than seven people in two attacks in Dhangri village of Rajouri district on January 1. The village is in shock and fear following the attacks. On January 1, militants entered several houses and opened fire. The next day, a bomb blast at one of the targeted houses killed two children. Twelve villagers were injured in the attacks. The VDCs, comprising mostly Hindus, were set up during the early days of militancy in the 1990s. Paramilitary forces in Rajouri have conducted multiple training workshops with the VDCs and distributed self-loading rifles to their volunteers.