J&K: Army holds workshop for defence guards of Rajouri’s LoC villages

Rajouri/Jammu, Apr 20 (PTI) The Indian Army has held a workshop to sharpen the shooting and weapon handling skills of its personnel guarding the hamlets along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, officials said on Thursday.

The workshop, organised by the Kalal-based Rashtriya Rifles battalion with a team of police personnel led by SP, Nowshera, Rafi Girion, imparted training to Village Defence Committee (VDC) members on Wednesday, they added.

The VDC members, equipped with .303 rifles, have been tasked to provide an extra security cover in rural areas along the LoC in the district. They have been asked to stay on alert amid a terror threat to target hamlets similar to the Dhangri village attack in January, where seven civilians lost their lives, the officials added.

Dozens of VDC members from different border villages of the sub division participated in the workshop and improved their skills in target shooting and weapon handling and cleaning techniques, they said.

Army and police officers also interacted with the participants and addressed them on their role in enhancing the security cover. The members also raised suggestions for better security apparatus, the officials said.