Security forces have launched a joint search operation after two officers disappeared while on patrol in the Dachhan area.
Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) went missing in the higher reaches of Dachhan in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Wednesday, according to reports from Times Now and Hindustan Times.
The missing personnel have been identified as Babi Chand and Rashpal Kumar. Both men were part of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police and were deployed with the 17 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) for patrolling.
The officers were moving from the Kiyar camp towards an Army post at Dharna-Marwah when they did not arrive at their destination. While their mobile phones could initially be reached, they were later switched off.
Locals reported hearing gunshots in the forest area between Kiyar and Derana on Wednesday afternoon. A police officer noted that the area is remote and suffers from poor mobile connectivity.
The police and the Army's Rashtriya Rifles have initiated a joint search operation to locate the officers. As of now, no official statement has been released regarding the disappearance, and no militant activity has been reported in connection with the incident.
The disappearance occurred on the same day that three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured in an attack on a security checkpoint in the Kulgam district.
