SRINAGAR, Oct 9: The search operation to trace two missing soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district entered its third day on Thursday, as rescue teams continued to battle harsh weather and challenging terrain, officials said.
The missing personnel, both commandos from an elite Para unit, disappeared during a combing operation launched in the Ahlan Gadole area of Kokernag on Tuesday, following intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the forested region.
Officials said communication with the soldiers was lost after they encountered difficult weather conditions. Helicopters have been deployed for aerial reconnaissance to assist the ground teams in the ongoing search efforts.
The Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corps confirmed that the operational team was hit by a severe snowstorm in the upper reaches of the Kishtwar range.
“On the intervening night of October 6 and 7, an operational team on the Kishtwar range confronted a severe snowstorm and whiteout conditions in the mountains of South Kashmir. Since then, two soldiers have gone out of communication,” the Chinar Corps posted on X (formerly Twitter).
It further said, “Intense search and rescue operations have been launched but are being hampered due to prevailing adverse weather conditions.”
Rescue teams from the Army and local authorities are continuing their efforts despite poor visibility, heavy snowfall, and rugged terrain, officials added.