Two missing special police officers found dead in Kishtwar
The bodies of two officers were recovered from a forest in Jammu and Kashmir after they went missing on Wednesday.
The bullet-riddled bodies of two Special Police Officers (SPOs) were recovered from a forest in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday morning, according to reports from Telegraph India, The Hindu and Hindustan Times.
The deceased, identified as 57-year-old Babi Chand and 45-year-old Rashpal Kumar, were residents of Kiyar village in the Dachhan belt. They were posted with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police.
The officers went missing on Wednesday while travelling from their camp in Kiyar to an Army post at Dharna-Marwah. Although their mobile phones were initially reachable, they were later switched off, and local residents reported hearing gunshots in the area.
Officials stated that the men's service weapons, including an INSAS rifle and a.303 rifle, were not found at the scene. Investigators also recovered empty cartridges of Pakistani-origin armour-piercing steel-core ammunition, leading to suspicions of a militant involvement.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the violence, while National Conference president Farooq Abdullah called for Pakistan to end its support for terrorism. BJP leader and Kishtwar legislator Shagun Parihar also condemned the attack.
The incident follows a separate attack on Wednesday in Kulgam district, where suspected militants opened fire on a CRPF checkpoint, injuring three personnel.