Five-day search operation ends as bodies of two soldiers recovered in Kokernag forests of Jammu & Kashmir

According to army sources, they went missing five days ago, coinciding with a sudden snowstorm that severely hampered visibility and movement in the rugged, forested terrain.

Srinagar: Security forces on Saturday concluded a five-day search operation in the dense Gadole forest area of Kokernag in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district after recovering the bodies of two Indian Army soldiers who went missing during a counter-terror operation earlier this week.

The soldiers, Lance Havildar Palash Ghosh and Lance Naik Sujay Ghosh, were part of a paratrooper unit engaged in tracking and neutralising terrorists hiding in the Kishtwar forests.

They went missing five days ago, coinciding with a sudden snowstorm that severely hampered visibility and movement in the rugged, forested terrain, according to Army sources.

The body of the first soldier was recovered on Friday, while the second was found on Saturday, both from the same forested area.

A security official said the recovery marked the end of a painstaking operation involving ground troops, local support teams, and coordinated search efforts across the challenging landscape.

Paying tribute to the fallen soldiers, Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said it honours the supreme sacrifice of the two while conducting relentless counter terror operations in the Kishtwar Range of Kokernag battling extreme weather conditions.

“Their courage and dedication will forever inspire us. Chinar Warriors salute the valour and sacrifice of the Bravehearts. We stand in solidarity with the bereaved families and are committed to their well-being,” it said.

The Corps had said in a statement on Wednesday that on the intervening night of October 6 and 7, an operational team in the Kishtwar range faced a severe snowstorm and whiteout (white fog-like conditions) as a result of which contact with two military personnel was lost.

The statement further said that despite the bad weather, a large-scale search and rescue operation was launched, in which drones, UAVs, and helicopters were also used.

The incident highlights the operational risks faced by security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, where terrorists exploit dense forests, high-altitude terrain, and adverse weather conditions to evade capture.

Despite high-tech surveillance and intelligence inputs, such operations carry a constant risk to personnel, particularly when troops are deployed in remote areas immediately after natural events like snowstorms.

The Gadole forests of Kokernag have, in recent years, become a hideout for terrorists due to their dense canopy and proximity to multiple infiltration routes, making operations both tactically challenging and risky.