Two suspected militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Friday, the police said.

Security launched a joint operation on Thursday based on specific inputs about militants being present in the Panipora village of Baramulla’s Sopore area.

An exchange of fire took place during the operation, the police said.

Firing was paused late Thursday night due to darkness, but security forces secured all exit points near the targeted house in Baramulla, ensuring that the militants had no escape, reported the Deccan Herald, quoting an unnamed police officer.

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The firing resumed early morning on Friday and two militants were killed in the gunfight.

The police said that the identification and affiliation of the suspected militants was being ascertained. Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from their possession, they added.

Meanwhile, two Village Defence Guards, Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar, were abducted from their homes and shot dead by suspected militants in the Kishtwar district of the Jammu region on Thursday, ANI reported.

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The killings sparked protests by locals who demanded strict action to end militancy in the region.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he was deeply saddened by Ahmad and Kumar’s deaths.

“The terrorists killed two innocent men who had taken their livestock to graze,” he said. “I condemn this attack unequivocally and send my condolences to the families. At the same time, I expect the security forces to move quickly to plug any gaps in our counter-terror grid & ensure that attacks like this stop completely.”

The Village Defence Guards (VDGs) were established in 1995 as a counterinsurgency force of armed civilian volunteers, trained and equipped by the Jammu and Kashmir government to combat militancy. Although their activities had diminished over the years, the Village Defence Guards were revived in March 2022 to address the growing militant threat.