Terrorists infiltrating from Pakistan from now on will not only face bullets of Indian troops on the Line of Control but also equally armed women of the border villages who have been trained as sharp shooters to prevent ultras from entering these areas. As many as 27 women from the border villages of Naushera tehsil today completed their training in the handling of AK-47s, INSAS and .303 rifles to match the arms carried by terrorists. These women will now be part of the village defence committees (VDCs) of their respective villages. The training was imparted by the DAH mountain division of the Army. Ninety women of the area have so far been trained in handling sophisticated arms and ammunition.
Three sisters, Sunita (20), Sonia (16) and Monica (18), who belong to Sariya village, were thrilled to carry the AK-47 rifles about which they had only read in newspaper reports. These girls demonstrated their shooting skills that matched any trained army rifleman. The girls of Tiper village Satbir Kaur and Simrit Kaur said arms? training was useful to them particularly at times when the men folk were away to work. This would help the women not only protect themselves, but also target the ultras who stray into their villages. These women were also trained in observing unusual and suspicious persons and movements. Major Gen Rajinder Singh, GOC, DAH division, identified medicare and women empowerment as the key areas for the general uplift. Dashmesh battalion was tasked to explore avenues and opportunities to meet the target. Villages near the LoC fence were surveyed and Sariya village on the border was selected for training women VDC.
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