Overview
- Police said about 85 Village Defence Group members from Arnia, R S Pura and Kanachak began intensive instruction in weapons handling, minor tactics, self‑defence and bunker construction, with upgraded self‑loading rifles.
- A three‑day camp that ended December 30 trained roughly 150 volunteers from 17 Doda–Chamba border villages, including women, in automatic rifle use, jungle‑warfare skills and forest patrolling.
- A VDG member in Doda’s Dessa area fired warning shots on January 2 after reporting suspicious movement near his home, prompting police reinforcements and public advisories to stay calm and vigilant.
- Officials noted the same individual reported a similar incident on December 14, when checks found no threat, and said inquiries into the latest report are underway.
- Doda’s police chief credited months‑long mountain‑top bases and intensified combing in the Chenab Valley as part of the winter push, as the reauthorized 2022 VDG scheme equips members with SLRs and Rs 4,000–4,500 monthly pay.