J&K: Bullet-Riddled Bodies of 2 Missing SPOs Found in Kishtwar
The service weapons of the slain personnel were not found, raising suspicions of a possible militant angle
Srinagar: In a grim development, the bullet-riddled bodies of two Special Police Officers (SPOs) who had gone missing in the remote Dachhan area of Jammu and Kashmir 's eastern Kishtwar district have been recovered, officials said on Thursday. The gory incident has triggered a major security operation across the hilly region.
The deceased officers have been identified as 45-year-old Rashpal Kumar (Bely No. 65) and 57-year-old Bobby Chand (Belt No. 920). Both hailed from Kiyar village in Dachhan and were serving with the J&K Police's counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) , Kiyar Sector, Dachhan in Kishtwar.
According to officials, the two SPOs had gone missing on Tuesday after being assigned rotational duty at the Indian Army 's Dharna Camp in the Marwah sector. The duo failed to report at the designated location, raising immediate concern among security agencies.
Following their disappearance, police, Army personnel and other security forces launched an extensive search and cordon operation across the rugged and densely forested terrain of Dachhan and adjoining areas. After days of intensive searches, the bodies of the two policemen were discovered in a forest area of the Dachhan sector.
Preliminary reports indicate that both officers sustained multiple bullet injuries. Officials also revealed that the service weapons issued to the SPOs were missing from the scene, prompting investigators to suspect a militant attack. The exact circumstances surrounding the killings, however, are still being ascertained.
The recovery of the bodies has sent shockwaves through the local community and security establishment, with senior officials closely monitoring developments. Security forces have intensified anti-terror operations in the region and launched a massive manhunt to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killings.
Officials said search operations are continuing in the surrounding forests and mountainous belts, with additional forces deployed to prevent the attackers from escaping the area. The incident is being viewed as a serious security challenge in the Chenab Valley region, where security agencies remain on high alert.
An investigation has been initiated, and authorities are working to establish the sequence of events that led to the abduction and killing of the two SPOs. Police have assured that all efforts are being made to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.