Have the Bodies of India's Missing Army Soldiers Been Found in J&K's Anantnag District?
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Srinagar, Oct 10 (NationPress) The remains of the second Indian Army soldier, who was reported missing due to severe weather conditions during an anti-terrorism operation, were found on Friday.
One soldier's body was retrieved the previous day.
According to officials, after tireless efforts by security forces, the second para-commando's body was located this morning in the Gadole forest area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
The two para-commandos had gone missing five days ago due to harsh weather in the Gadole forests, and today the search led to the recovery of the second soldier.
The Army’s Srinagar headquartered Chinar Corps stated on X yesterday, "On the night of 6/7 Oct, an operational team in the Kishtwar range faced a severe snowstorm and whiteout conditions in the mountains of South Kashmir."
"Since then, two soldiers have been out of contact. Intense Search and Rescue operations have been initiated but hindered by ongoing adverse weather conditions."
Joint forces, including the Army, security personnel, and J&K Police, are conducting extensive operations against terrorists, Over Ground Workers (OGWs), and sympathisers to dismantle the entire terror ecosystem in the Union Territory, rather than just focusing on eliminating armed terrorists.
Security forces are also scrutinizing drug smugglers, peddlers, and those involved in hawala money operations, as it is believed that the funds generated from these activities support terrorism in J&K.
While the J&K Police and security forces carry out anti-terror operations in the hinterland, the Army and the Border Security Force (BSF) protect the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) respectively.
J&K has a 740-km long LoC and a 240-km long IB, with the LoC running through the districts of Baramulla, Kupwara, and Bandipora in the Valley, and partially in Jammu district. The IB traverses the Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts of the Jammu division.