Bodies of two missing soldiers traced in upper reaches of south Kashmir

The bodies of two soldiers, who went missing on October 6-7 during an anti-terror operation, have been recovered from the upper reaches of south Kashmir, the Army said on Friday (October 10, 2025).  

The two soldiers went missing on the slopes and ridges that are known as terror routes and dotted by hideouts. The Army sources ruled out the terror angle as the bodies, along with service rifles, were recovered. 

“The soldiers were conducting relentless counter-terror operations in the Kishtwar Range of Kokernag (in south Kashmir), battling extreme weather conditions. Their courage and dedication will forever inspire us,” a Srinagar-based Army spokesman said.

The Army identified the deceased soldiers as Lance Havildar Palash Ghosh and Lance Naik Sujay Ghosh. The two went missing on the intervening night of October 6-7 when they were part of an operational team on the Kishtwar range. 

“The team confronted a severe snowstorm and whiteout conditions in the mountains of south Kashmir. Since then, the two soldiers have gone out of communication,” the Army said.

The Army launched search operations from multiple points in south Kashmir and Kishtwar on Tuesday to trace the missing soldiers. “Intense search and rescue operations were hampered due to prevailing adverse weather conditions,” the Army said.

The deceased soldiers belonged to the Army’s elite Para Commando unit. The mountain ranges of south Kashmir received six to eight inches of snowfall early this week. Security forces launched massive operations in the tough terrains and dense forests of Kokernag and Kishtwar. 

The growing presence of terrorists in the upper reaches of mountain ranges in the past two years has forced the security forces to carry out patrols in tough terrains in Kashmir, the Chenab Valley and the Pir Panjal valley.

In 2024, official data suggested 18 security personnel and 13 militants were killed in the Jammu division in around 30 contacts, ambushes or anti-militancy operations. Jammu division’s Udhampur, Reasi, Doda and Kishtwar districts saw heightened militancy in the upper reaches, as around 13 militants were killed in 2024.