Village guard, wife die of bullet wounds in Jammu’s Reasi

A Village Defence Guard (VDG) and his wife died of bullet wounds in Jammu’s Reasi district on Monday (November 2, 2026). The victims were identified as Javed Ahmed, a resident of Brailkund, Manjikote, Bagodass, and his wife Shaheen Akhter.

Initial reports suggested the bullets had been fired from the type of service weapon provided by the government to VDGs, who are civilians armed to defend villages against terrorists. A team from the Chassana police station inspected the site. The police have not provided details on the incident yet.

This is the third such incident in the past two years in the Jammu region. A woman was left dead in Kishtwar’s Chatroo area after a VDG opened fire in 2025. Two VDGs were kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Kishtwar in 2024. One civilian was killed and another injured in a firing incident from the service rifle provided to a VDG in August 2026.

In 1995, Village Defence Committees were constituted in 10 districts of the Jammu region. Later, they were disbanded. However, after the Dangri attack in Rajouri in 2023, which left six civilians dead and 15 others injured, the Centre revived these groups and renamed them VDGs. Prior to 2006, around 26,567 locals were recruited into Village Defence Committees in the Jammu region. According to official figures, 160 criminal cases involving Village Defence Committees members were filed in the Jammu region.

Meanwhile, an Army porter accidentally stepped on an anti-personnel mine near the Line of Control (LoC) and was left injured in Rajouri district.

The individual was identified as Krishan Lal, a resident of Langar village. The incident took place in the Nowshera sector at 11:30 a.m. near a forward post close to the LoC. The blast impacted the foot of a victim, officials said.