Poonch Villagers help Security Forces in search operations

POONCH - A number of villagers who are member-volunteers of civil Village Defence Committee (VDC) are actively helping the Security Forces during search operations in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch region.

Both the men and women members of Village Defence Committee in the Kulali area have been providing the security forces valuable information and intelligence.

The help provided by the villagers has been very useful in flushing our militants from hilly tracts of Kaka Kulali in Poonch district.

“Yes, we picked up guns to protect our self-respect and for the protection of our village. The militants were very cruel. So we had to pick up guns to protect ourselves,” said Maneera Begum, a lady member of Village Defence Committee.

members of the village defence committee also keep a vigil in their neighbourhood.he members of Village Defence Committee have received basic training in self-defence. top brass of the Army said that involvement of locals in such operations is crucial.

” We were able to wipe out militants only because of help of locals and members of VDC,” said Major General KAS Bhullar, General Officer Commanding, Romeo Force, Poonch Sector.he Hill Kaka area used to be militants’ base camp.

Following continued atrocities against the innocent men and women here, the local villagers approached the Government seeking action against the militants.

In 2002-03, the Indian Army launched a decisive operation named ‘Sarp Vinash’ against these militants Hill Kaka area.

It was also decided to set up civil village defence committee to enable them for self-defence. ccording to intelligence reports Pakistan-based militant groups have accelerated the efforts to infiltrate the region across the Line of Control after snow started melting on the high Himalayan Mountain passes. By Narender Singh Sasan(ANI)