Two missing Special Police Officers found dead in Kishtwar
The service weapons of the deceased officers were missing, leading officials to suspect a possible militant attack.
The bullet-riddled bodies of two Special Police Officers (SPOs) were recovered on Thursday in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, according to The Hindu. The officers, identified as Rashpal Kumar, 45, and Bobby Chand, 57, had gone missing a day earlier in the dense forest area of the Kiyar Sector in Dachhan.
The two SPOs, who were part of the Special Operations Group (SOG), went missing on Wednesday while travelling from their camp to an Army post at Dharna-Marwah. They were part of the Temporary Operating Bases (TOBs) established by the J&K Police following increased terrorist activity in the upper reaches of the region since 2020.
Officials stated that the service weapons of both officers were missing, which has raised suspicion of a possible militant attack. The New Indian Express reported that officials suspect the attackers may have taken the weapons with them.
The search operation was launched on Wednesday after the officers failed to report for duty and their mobile phones were switched off. The bodies were spotted after a massive search was conducted in the mountainous region.
The police have not issued a formal statement or confirmed the involvement of terrorists in the incident. The circumstances surrounding the deaths are yet to be established.