Body of soldier who went missing in snowstorm found

The body of one of two missing paratroopers was found on Thursday during an intense search and rescue operation in the Gadool forests of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, officials said.

Two Army soldiers had gone missing in the forest area prompting security forces to launch a massive search operation.

A senior official said on Thursday that during the search, a body with a weapon and rucksack was retrieved from the area, which is located at a high altitude.

Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said on X late on Wednesday night that on the intervening night of October 6 and 7, an operational team in the Kishtwar range encountered a severe snowstorm and whiteout conditions in the mountains of south Kashmir.

“Since then, two soldiers have lost communication. Intense search and rescue operations have been launched, but progress has been hampered by prevailing adverse weather conditions,” the Army had said.

On Thursday, locals also joined the Army in the search operation. One of the locals told The Tribune that around 2 ft of snow is present in the area where the body was found. “The search is on for the second one,” he said.

This week, the area saw heavy rainfall and the higher reaches experienced snowfall. Security officials said the death is weather-linked and it had no terror angle.

The Gadool forests have seen militant activity in the past. In September 2023, three security personnel — Col Manpreet Singh, Maj Ashish Donchak and Jammu and Kashmir Police DSP Humayun Muzamil — were killed in a fierce gunfight in the same area. That operation lasted several days and ended with the killing of two militants.