One body of the missing Indian Army soldier recovered in Kokernag Forest

The Indian Army has recovered the body of one of the two missing PARA soldiers from the 5 PARA unit, who went missing on October 6 in the Kishtwar ridge area of the Gadole forests, Kokernag, Anantnag. Search parties are bringing the body down for formal identification. The Indian Army has been conducting an extensive search operation on the third consecutive day in the dense Gadol forest of Kokernag, Anantnag district, South Kashmir, to locate the missing Indian Army soldiers. A severe snowstorm disrupted communication with the soldiers, prompting the Army to launch a large-scale rescue and search effort.

According to the Indian Army, ''On the intervening night of 6/7 Oct an operational team on Kishtwar range confronted a severe snowstorm and whiteout conditions in the mountains of South Kashmir. Since then, two soldiers have gone out of communication. Intense Search and Rescue operations have been launched but hampered due to prevailing adverse weather conditions.''

The communication was lost with Agniveer commandos from the 5 Para (Special Forces) unit during a routine patrol in the Gadol forest, Kokernag, Anantnag district. While no terrorist involvement has been confirmed, the region has a history of militancy, including a 2023 encounter in the same forest that caused significant casualties among security forces.

The Indian Army swiftly mobilised a large-scale, multi-faceted search and rescue operation in the rugged Gadol forest of Kokernag, Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir. Leveraging advanced technology and specialized resources, the operation involves state-of-the-art drones for aerial reconnaissance, highly trained canine squads for ground tracking, and helicopters for rapid deployment and surveillance across the dense, high-risk terrain.

This meticulously coordinated operation highlights the Indian Army's unwavering resolve to locate the second missing soldier. Additional ground forces have been deployed to thoroughly search the Gadole forests, while intelligence units are working relentlessly to trace the missing jawan.