Two Missing Special Police Officers Found Shot Dead in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar District

Discovery of the Missing Officers

Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) who went missing while travelling in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir were found dead early Thursday. The bodies of the personnel, identified by officials as Babi Chand and Rashpal Kumar, bore multiple bullet wounds. Both officers were attached to the Special Operations Group of the local police and stationed at a camp in Kiyar village within the Dachhan area.

Circumstances of Disappearance

The officers disappeared on Wednesday while journeying from their camp toward an Army post. According to officials, they were heading to relieve personnel deployed at a temporary base when they failed to reach their destination. Their mobile phones, initially reachable, were later switched off, prompting concern over their whereabouts. Locals in the area reportedly heard gunshots around the time of their disappearance in the remote terrain.

Search Operations and Security Response

Following the disappearance, security forces including the local police and the Army launched a joint search operation across the difficult forest stretches and mountainous terrain of the region. Authorities recovered the bullet-riddled bodies during these operations. Because the officers' service weapons were missing from the scene, officials noted that a potential militant angle is being investigated, although the exact circumstances of the incident remain under review.