Two village defence guards were abducted and killed by terrorists in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. This incident follows a recent grenade attack at a Sunday market in Srinagar, where at least 12 people were injured. According to officials, Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar were taken from the Munzla Dhar forest area in Adhwari on Thursday and then fatally shot. "A massive search operation has been launched to hunt down the terrorists," said an official.

"We have received information that my brother and Ahmad were abducted and killed by terrorists. They were village defence guards (VDGs) and had gone to graze cattle, as usual," Kumar's brother, Prithvi, told news agency PTI.

The Kashmir Tigers, a splinter group of Jaish-e-Mohammad, has claimed responsibility for the killings, even sharing photos showing the victims with their eyes blindfolded. The incident has been widely condemned, with statements from Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and leaders from both the Congress and BJP denouncing the attack.

Lieutenant Governor Sinha wrote on X, "No words are strong enough to condemn the heinous terrorist attack on VDG members in Kishtwar. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the families of brave sons martyred in this cowardly attack. We are firmly resolved to destroy all terror outfits & avenge this barbaric act."

The National Conference said both Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and party Chief Farooq Abdullah have condemned the killings. "JKNC President Dr Farooq Abdullah and VP & Chief Minister @OmarAbdullah have condemned the gruesome killing of two village defence guards in Kishtwar namely Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar, in a forest area. They have said that such acts of barbaric violence remain a significant impediment in achieving long-lasting peace in J&K. In this hour of grief, their thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased," the party's handle posted on X

An encounter erupted in north Kashmir’s Sopore on Thursday as security forces initiated an anti-terror operation. Sources report that two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area. Following the recent explosion in Srinagar on Sunday, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urged security forces to take "every possible measure" to curb the rising wave of attacks in the Union Territory swiftly.

"The last few days have been dominated by headlines of attacks and encounters in parts of the valley. Today's news of a grenade attack on innocent shoppers at the 'Sunday market' in Srinagar is deeply disturbing. There can be no justification for targeting innocent civilians. The security apparatus must do everything possible to end this spurt of attacks at the earliest so that people can go about their lives without any fear," Mr Abdullah had said in a post on X.

Last week, two migrant workers were also targeted and shot in Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir. This incident marked the third attack on migrant workers in less than two weeks. The most severe of these occurred on October 20 at a tunnel construction site in Ganderbal district, where seven people, including a local doctor and two workers from Bihar, were killed.