Two Special Police Officers found dead in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar
The bodies of Babi Chand and Rashpal Kumar were discovered with gunshot wounds during a search operation in the Dachhan forest.
Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) were found dead in the forested upper reaches of Dachhan in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Thursday, according to Moneycontrol. The officers, identified as Babi Chand, 57, and Rashpal Kumar, 45, had gone missing during a patrol on Wednesday.
The bodies were discovered approximately 2 km from the site of an earlier attack and reportedly showed signs of gunshot wounds. Officials noted that while the officers' weapons were not found, a manhunt has been initiated to locate terrorists.
The two men, who were posted at Kiyar village, were travelling from the Kiyar camp to an Army post at Dharna-Marwah when they disappeared. Firing had been reported in the Deharna forest area around 3.30 pm on Wednesday while they were in transit.
Security forces, including the police and the Army's Rashtriya Rifles, launched a joint search operation involving drones and sniffer dogs to navigate the rugged mountainous terrain. The search was widened to include the route towards Dharna-Marwah and the area surrounding Kiyar.
The Indian Express reported that the officers were returning to relieve personnel at a Temporary Operational Base in the Basnan area. The disappearance occurred in a region described by officials as a shadow zone with limited mobile connectivity.