Image source, IMRAN SHAH
Authorities on Thursday recovered the bodies of two Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel who went missing in Kishtwar district. Officials said that there were bullet marks on the bodies of both of them. Both of them were missing since Wednesday night.
Actually, both the killed soldiers were Special Police Officers (SPOs) and were posted in the Special Operations Group, the anti-extremism unit of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
SPOs are temporarily appointed lower rank policemen, who are deployed in police stations of Jammu and Kashmir.
Although they do not get salaries and other facilities like regular policemen, they actively participate in anti-extremism operations.
A police officer said that the bodies of 54-year-old Bobby Chand and 45-year-old Rashpal Kumar, residents of Kishtwar district, were recovered from a forest in Dachhan area on Thursday morning. Both of them had gone missing from this area on Wednesday night.
"Their service rifles are also missing, indicating the involvement of extremists in the attack," said a police officer, not authorized to speak to the media.
Till now no extremist organization has taken responsibility for this attack.
The attack took place on Wednesday night
Image source, ANI
According to sources, both the soldiers were passing through the hilly road between Kiar to Deharna in Dachhan area of Kishtwar on Wednesday night, when suspected extremists started firing on them.
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It is believed that an army porter had informed the nearby military camp about the firing.
A police officer told the BBC, "As soon as the news of their disappearance was received on Wednesday night, we started a search operation in the area. Searches were carried out throughout the night and the help of sniffer dogs and drones were taken to trace the attackers. Sadly, on Thursday morning our teams found their bodies in a forest in the Deccan area."
The official said that the bodies are being brought down from the inaccessible and hilly areas of Kishtwar district.
The hill district of Kishtwar has seen an increase in extremist activities in recent months. It is situated between Doda district of Jammu, Anantnag district of Kashmir and Zanskar district of Ladakh.
In January this year, extremists had opened fire on security forces during an anti-extremism operation in Chhatru area of Kishtwar. An army soldier was killed in this incident, while many others were injured.
In the same month, two more encounters took place in this area, but the extremists managed to escape from the security forces.
In February this year, security forces had killed three suspected extremists in Chhatru area. These included a top commander of Pakistan-based extremist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed. Chhatru area is located on the border of Anantnag and Kishtwar districts.
Later the investigation of this case was taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The agency had arrested a local person from Inderwal, Kishtwar. He was accused of helping the slain extremists.
The agency had also filed a chargesheet in this case last October.
What did BJP MLA Shagun Parihar say?
BJP MLA from Kishtwar Shagun Parihar told news agency ANI, "This is a very sad incident. Two of our SPOs have been murdered. They were missing since last night and their bodies were recovered this morning."
He said that one body was found at around 8 am, while the other body was recovered at around 9 am.
Parihar said, "Pakistan is continuously carrying out its conspiracies. We appeal to the Union Home Minister to immediately hold those responsible for the murder of these two SPOs accountable."
He has demanded to take major action in response to this incident.
On Wednesday, unknown bike-borne assailants opened fire on security personnel posted at the checkpoint in Kulgam, in which three CRPF personnel were injured.
Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakina Itu said, "This is a very unfortunate incident. Such incidents should not happen. I believe that it is in everyone's interest to keep the situation normal and stable. There is no place for such attacks here. There is a need to strengthen and improve the security system, so that such incidents do not happen again."
Published by Collective Newsroom for the BBC.
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