Intense searches are underway to trace two missing Army commandos in the forests of Gadol in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. Helicopters and drones are part of the search, while ground troops have been combing large parts of the forest over the last three days.
The Special Forces or paratroopers were on personal duty when they went missing on Monday evening. As the troopers lost contact with their formation, search operations were launched to locate them. So far, there is no information about the circumstances in which they went missing.
While the Army believes the missing troopers confronted a snowstorm and lost contact, the weather has improved over the last three days, with dry and sunny conditions prevailing in Kashmir.
"On the intervening night of October 6-7, 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 were hampered due to prevailing adverse weather conditions," the Army said in a post on X yesterday evening.
#IndianArmy Operation Update
On the intervening night of 6/7 Oct an operational team on Kishtwar range confronted a severe snow storm and white out conditions in the mountains of South Kashmir. Since then, two soldiers have gone out of communication. Intense Search and Rescue…
— Chinar Corps? - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) October 8, 2025
The Gadol forest terrain is tricky, with thick vegetation, and has been the site of several major encounters between terrorists and security forces in the past.
After the Pahalgam terrorist attack, in which 26 civilians were killed by heavily armed terrorists on April 22, security forces have recalibrated their operational strategy to deal with jungle warfare in Jammu and Kashmir.
As part of the new tactics, small teams of troopers are being deployed in jungle areas to carry out stealth operations against Pakistani terrorists trained in jungle warfare.
The missing troopers were part of a similar mission in the jungles when they lost contact. Besides the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF are also involved in the search.
Last year, two soldiers and a civilian were killed during a fierce gun battle in the same area. Two years ago, a commanding officer of the Army, a Major, and a Deputy Superintendent of Police were among five security forces personnel killed in action in the Gadol forests.
So far, there is no confirmation whether terrorists could be behind the disappearance of the two Army commandos. Since October 2021, Pakistan-trained terrorists in jungle warfare have carried out dozens of attacks in mountainous regions of Jammu and Kashmir.
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