Srinagar, Oct 10: Security forces on Friday recovered the body of a soldier who had gone missing earlier this week during a counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The recovery came a day after the body of another missing soldier from the same operation was found, officials said.
The soldiers, identified as Lance Havildar Palash Ghosh and Lance Naik Sujay Ghosh of the Army’s elite Para (Special Forces) unit, had disappeared on Tuesday during a combing operation in the Ahlan Gadole area of Kokernag. The search was part of an anti-terror operation launched following intelligence inputs suggesting the presence of militants in the region.
Officials said both soldiers are believed to have died of hypothermia after losing communication amid deteriorating weather conditions. The area witnessed a severe snowstorm that disrupted visibility and hampered rescue efforts.
According to the Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, the team was caught in a blinding snowstorm in the mountainous Kishtwar range on the intervening night of October 6 and 7. Communication with the two commandos was lost soon after. Helicopters were later deployed for aerial reconnaissance, but adverse weather slowed down the rescue mission.
“Intense search and rescue operations were launched but were hampered by prevailing weather conditions,” the Chinar Corps said in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.
The Army paid solemn tributes to the fallen soldiers, hailing their courage and commitment to duty under extreme conditions. “Chinar Corps honours the supreme sacrifice of Bravehearts Lance Havildar Palash Ghosh and Lance Naik Sujay Ghosh while conducting relentless counter-terror operations in the Kishtwar Range of Kokernag. Their courage and dedication will forever inspire us,” the Corps said.
The statement added that the Chinar Warriors salute the valour of the two commandos and stand in solidarity with their bereaved families.
The latest incident underscores the harsh terrain and unpredictable weather challenges faced by troops operating in high-altitude regions of Jammu and Kashmir, even as counter-insurgency operations continue across the Valley.
