Two Special Police Officers go missing in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir
Security forces have launched a joint search operation to locate the two officers who disappeared while on patrol on Wednesday.
Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) went missing on Wednesday afternoon in the upper reaches of Dachhan and Marwah in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, according to reports from Times Now and Hindustan Times.
The missing personnel have been identified as Babi Chand and Rashpal Kumar. They were part of a patrol and were travelling from Kiyar camp to an Army post at Dharna-Marwah or the 17 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) makeshift base in the Basnan area of Inderwal.
A police officer stated that the area is remote and mobile connectivity is poor. While their mobile phones were initially reachable, they were later switched off.
The Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and local police have launched a joint search operation to trace the officers, who reportedly went missing along with their weapons. No clues have been found so far.
Locals reported hearing gunshots in the forest area between Kiyar and Derana at around 3.30 pm on Wednesday. While no militant activity has been officially reported behind the disappearance, people familiar with the development could not rule out a brief exchange of fire between the SPOs and terrorists.