Ahead of Amarnath Yatra, BSF intensifies training for VDGs in Jammu

Srinagar, June 09: Ahead of the upcoming Am-arnath Yatra, the Border Security Force (BSF) has intensified special training for Village Defence Guard (VDG) members in the Arnia sector along the International Border in Jammu region.
The move comes amid heightened alert follow-ing intelligence inputs suggesting renewed ter-rorist activity across the border in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The BSF, in coordination with security agencies, is conducting rigorous tactical and surveillance training sessions for VDGs, equipping them to counter cross-border infiltration attempts and any potential militant threat.
A senior BSF official stationed at the border told Rising Kashmir that after Operation Sindoor, they are taking no chances. There are credible in-puts that launch pads across the border have once again become active.
“The VDGs are our extended arms in the villages; we are training them in modern surveillance techniques, weapons handling, and coordinated response to any infiltration attempt,” he said.
This initiative is part of a larger security build-up in the region, especially as the sacred Amarnath Yatra is set to begin shortly. The annual pilgrim-age, which attracts thousands of devotees from across the country, has often been on the radar of militant outfits.
Local VDG members, many of whom were active during the turbulent 1990s when terrorism was at its peak in Jammu and Kashmir, are once again stepping up to defend their homeland.
“We have seen those dark days when militancy tried to ruin our lives. We fought then, and we are ready to fight again,” said Baldev Singh, a VDG member from Arnia.
“Our villages are our pride, and with the BSF training us, we feel confident and better pre-pared,” he said.
Another local resident, Ramesh Choudhary, em-phasized the importance of community involve-ment in national security.
“We do not want another Pahalgam attack. That’s why the villagers are coming forward vol-untarily to be part of the VDGs. The situation along the border is tense, but we are united.”
“Our people are brave. We have faced shelling, militancy, and now this fresh threat. But with BSF and Army standing guard, and VDGs being trained, we are not afraid,” Ramesh said.
He said this land belongs to us. If Pakistan thinks it can push its agenda through militants, they should remember that the people of Jammu stand like a wall.
The training camps cover a range of combat pre-paredness modules, including weapon drills, night patrol simulations, communication coordi-nation with BSF posts, and emergency response protocols.
Operation Sindoor, conducted last month, was a major retaliation by security forces following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22.
As the countdown begins for the Amarnath Yatra, security agencies are expected to further ramp up deployment, conduct aerial surveillance, and enhance intelligence coordination.
The BSF has also increased patrolling intensity, especially during night hours, along vulnerable stretches.
On June 04, the Tiger Division of the Indian Ar-my conducted training programme for 100 Vil-lage Defence Guards (VDGs) at the Police Firing Range in Sunjuwan, Jammu.
It focused on firing skills, basic weapon han-dling, tactical drills, and adherence to standard security protocols.
The sessions were conducted under the close su-pervision of experienced Indian Army instruc-tors, with the objective of equipping VDG mem-bers to assist security forces effectively in sensi-tive and vulnerable regions.