One killed, another injured as VDG member ‘opens fire’ in J&K’s Udhampur
Preliminary reports suggest that a scuffle broke out among the armed civilian members of the Village Defence Guards, trained to fight against terrorists, in Udhampur’s hilly pocket of Pancheri area
A deadly shooting in Udhampur, Jammu division, left one person dead and another injured on Friday, August 14, 2026. Preliminary reports indicate that the incident occurred in the Pancheri area, where armed members of the Village Defence Guards (VDG) engaged in a confrontation with civilians. The gunman, identified as Surjeet Singh of Sasri Damnot, opened fire on two civilians, fatally wounding Baldev Singh and critically injuring Romesh Singh.
Both victims were transported to a district hospital for treatment. Authorities are currently investigating the incident and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the firing. It is unclear at this time whether the act was a result of an altercation or another motive. The accused, Surjeet Singh, remains at large. This marks the second shooting involving VDG members in the Jammu region within the past two years.
In 2025, a VDG member shot and killed a woman in Kishtwar's Chatroo area. In 2024, two VDG members were kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Kishtwar. Initially established in 1995 as Village Defence Committees to protect against terrorist attacks, the groups were disbanded in 2006 but were later revived in 2023 following the Dangri attack in Rajouri, which resulted in the deaths of six civilians and injuries to 15 others.
Since their reactivation, hundreds of locals in the Jammu region have undergone armed training with automatic rifles. According to official records, 160 criminal cases have been filed against VDG members in the region.
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