Two Special Police Officers Missing in Kishtwar as Search Operation Begins

Search Launched in Remote Terrain

Two Special Police Officers went missing in the upper reaches of Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday afternoon, prompting a joint search operation involving the Army, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The two personnel, both attached to the Special Operations Group, were reportedly travelling with their weapons when they disappeared.

Officials identified the missing men as Rashpal Kumar, 40, and Babbi Chand, 54, both residents of Dachhan. They had left on patrol duty and were heading toward a makeshift base of the 17 Rashtriya Rifles in the Basnan area of Inderwal, under the Marwah police station limits.

Gunfire Reported Before Disappearance

Locals reportedly heard gunshots in the area between Kiyar and Derana that afternoon, shortly before the two officers went missing. Police said the terrain is remote and mobile connectivity is poor, complicating efforts to trace them. Searchers have so far found no clue to their whereabouts, a police officer said.

Neither the police nor the Army has issued an official statement on the incident. People familiar with the matter said a brief exchange of fire between the officers and militants could not be ruled out, though this remains unconfirmed.

Attack on Security Checkpoint in Kulgam

The disappearance came hours after an attack on a security post in Kulgam district, in South Kashmir. Around 2.15 pm, unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire on a CRPF checkpoint, injuring three personnel before fleeing. The checkpoint is about four kilometres from the national highway.

The injured have been identified as Head Constable Somveer Singh and Constables Rakesh Dass and Santosh Chandru. Chandru suffered abdominal and spinal injuries and was described as slightly serious. Dass sustained a bullet wound to the leg, and Singh a bullet wound to the arm; both were reported stable. The three were taken to the Government Medical College in Anantnag for treatment. The CRPF said operations were underway to nab the attackers.

Background

The upper reaches of Dachhan and Marwah in the Kishtwar region were once considered a safe haven for Hizbul Mujahideen militants during the peak of militancy in the Doda region. Security forces had killed Pakistani terrorists in the region earlier this year, and a Hizbul commander, Jahangir Saroori, is believed by security sources to be hiding in the upper reaches of Kishtwar.

What Next

Search teams from the Army, CRPF and police continue to comb the forested area for the two missing officers. Authorities have not yet released any further details on the circumstances of their disappearance or on the investigation into the Kulgam attack.