Bodies of two missing Special Police Officers found in Kishtwar
The officers were found with bullet wounds and missing weapons in the Dachhan forest area.
Police recovered the bodies of two missing Special Police Officers (SPOs) in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir early on Thursday, according to The Indian Express. The officers, identified as Rashpal Kumar, 45, and Bobby Chand, 57, went missing on Wednesday afternoon in the Dachhan forest.
The two SPOs were part of the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Special Operations Group (SOG). They were reportedly returning from Kiyar Dachhan to relieve personnel at a Temporary Operational Base (TOB) of the 17 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) in the Basnan area of Inderwal.
The bodies had bullet wounds and their service weapons were missing, which police sources say indicates a terror angle. A J&K Police officer stated that preliminary investigations suggest at least three terrorists were involved, including two who appear to be foreign nationals.
Investigators are examining if attackers belong to a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module. At least three suspected overground workers of the LeT are being questioned regarding possible logistical assistance.
The incident occurred a day after suspected terrorists opened fire on a security checkpoint in the Akhran area of Kulgam district. That attack injured three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, including Head Constable Somveer Singh, Constable Rakesh Dass, and Constable Santosh Chandru.