Jammu and Kashmir police have decided to induct Jammu’s ubiquitous village defence guards (VDGs), a civilian militia known for combating militants, into the efforts to counter militant infiltration across the International Border in Jammu.

Director-general of police R.R. Swain on Monday said that VDGs would be deployed at border police posts behind the BSF, forming a second line of defence against infiltration along with the police.

They will be given better arms and night-vision devices. Traditionally, the VDGs used .303 rifles but the Union home ministry last month decided to gradually equip them with semi-automatic weapons like Insas rifles and self-loading rifles (SLRs).

Over the past two years, the administration has been officially paying the VDGs a monthly honorarium of around Rs 4,000, turning them into a semi-formal force against militancy. But so far, their area of operation has been their own neighbourhoods.

Dozens of battle-hardened militants are believed to have this year infiltrated the Jammu region, which has witnessed a spate of attacks.

DGP Swain, accompanied by senior BSF and police officers, visited a government high school at Rajpura in Samba district on Monday and interacted with local VDGs.

"It (the 192km International Border in Jammu) is the stretch where we feel that with the assistance of the village defence guards, a new wall will be created towards (combating) infiltration,” Swain told reporters.

"They will be equipped with modern weaponry, equipment and night-vision devices. The VDGs will work in synergy with the BSF and the JKP (police) in the depth areas to create a new level of difficulty for the enemy."

Swain added: "For example, (say) they (BSF) had some doubt (about a suspicious activity) and they issued an alert. The men standing behind (the police and the VDGs) would wake up (to the requirement)."

He, however, declined to share details about how exactly the forces will coordinate with the VDGs as the matter concerns national security.

"In normal policing, also, we believe law enforcement cannot yield optimum results fully without public participation,” Swain said.

“This (Jammu’s border areas) is such an area where, in the past, people have displayed passion to work with the police. We had an interaction (with VDGs) where we listened to them and they listened to us.”

Swain said in Samba, Kathua and parts of Jammu district, militants often infiltrate by digging tunnels or crossing rivers, presenting the security forces with a formidable challenge.

“In such circumstances, we take advantage of the border villagers, who have a history of standing up and participating alongside the police and security forces to combat infiltration and intrusion,” he said.

Swain said the number of VDGs used to be low in the border villages but had been enhanced in recent times.

Jammu already had a staggering 30,000 VDGs, and thousands more were engaged amid the spate of militant attacks in the last few years. However, VDGs have been accused of committing atrocities on Jammu’s minority Muslims in the past.

Currently, the forces are engaged in multiple operations to hunt down militants involved in recent attacks. They have deployed additional men and stepped up patrols along the International Border and the Line of Control.

At least two big anti-militancy operations have been under way since last week in the Kokernag area of the Valley and the Basantgarh area of Jammu.

The army has lost two soldiers in Kokernag while there has been an exchange of fire with militants in Basantgarh. But no militant has been “neutralised” so far.