J&K: Two SOG personnel go missing in Kishtwar's Dachhan-Marwah belt; search operation underway

Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) went missing in the remote mountainous areas of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Wednesday, according to officials, reported PTI.

The missing personnel have been identified as Rashpal Kumar, 45, and Babi Chand, 57, both attached to the police’s Special Operations Group (SOG). They were last reported missing in the Dachhan-Marwah belt of the district, officials said.

A large-scale search operation has been initiated in the area to locate the two officers, they added.

Officials said the two SPOs had set out from Kiyar camp for an Army post in Dharna-Marwah but did not arrive at their destination. Their mobile phones were initially switched on and reachable, but later became inaccessible, prompting concerns over their whereabouts, the report noted.

Kishtwar has been a key focus of security forces' efforts to flush out militants operating in its remote and forest-covered areas. Several counter-insurgency operations have led to the elimination of active terrorists, considerably reducing their presence in the district.

However, the region's challenging terrain and extensive forest areas continue to make security operations difficult, officials said.

Both security personnel and militants have lost their lives in the district in recent years.

Kulgam firing: Forensic team collects evidence after attack leaves 3 CRPF personnel injured

Meanwhile, a forensic team visited the Akhran area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Wednesday to gather samples and evidence from the site of a firing incident in which three CRPF personnel were injured, according to ANI.

The incident took place when unidentified motorcycle-borne attackers opened fire on security personnel deployed at a naka, or security checkpoint. The forensic team collected evidence as part of the ongoing investigation.

Reacting to the attack, Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra said the incident reflected not just a security lapse but a failure by the Centre. He also questioned the government's repeated assertions that the security situation in the Union Territory had improved.

"It is not merely a security lapse; it is a lapse on the part of the Government of India," Karra said.

He expressed solidarity with the injured CRPF personnel and their families, but said the proximity of the attack to an event attended by the Lieutenant Governor raised serious concerns.

"We stand in solidarity with the soldiers who have been injured and with their families. However, this raises many questions. As you noted, the attack took place just two or three kilometres away from the LG’s event—this demonstrates that they can strike at will; they attack wherever they choose," he said.

Karra further accused the Centre of presenting inconsistent assessments of the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, depending on the circumstances. He cited incidents in Kishtwar, Poonch and Rajouri over the past year while challenging claims of an improved situation.

"Furthermore, the Government of India repeatedly claims that the situation here has improved, yet whenever it suits them, they shift their narrative to suggest that the situation is, in fact, poor. Just look at the past year—consider the incidents in Kishtwar, or in Poonch and Rajouri. Despite these events, they continue to insist that the situation is fine," he said.

Pointing to security operations in these areas, Karra said, "In Kishtwar, an encounter persisted for 10–12 days; a similar situation unfolded in the Poonch-Rajouri region."

According to the CRPF, the firing occurred at around 2.15 pm, when the attackers targeted personnel stationed at the checkpoint. The assailants escaped shortly after opening fire, officials stated.

In a statement, the CRPF confirmed that three of its personnel had sustained injuries and said an operation was underway to track down those responsible.

"There has been firing on CRPF Naka at Kulgam, Kashmir. Three personnel injured. Operations are going on to nab the perpetrators and best possible treatment is being provided to the injured personnel," the CRPF said in a statement.

About the Author

Garvit Bhirani is a journalist based in Gurugram. He is a Deputy Chief Content Producer at LiveMint, where he covers national and international news stories, focusing on accuracy and compelling storytelling for readers. <br><br> With a total of six years of experience in journalism, he has previously worked with Vaco Binary Semantics for Google, taking on the role of news curation lead, and reported from the field on health, education, and agriculture stories for 101reporters and News9. He has also served as a content editor for entertainment and news media organisations. <br><br> Garvit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism and mass communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and Gurugram University, respectively. During college days, he joined India’s only non-profit student journalism network, where he anchored daily news updates and produced his own weekly show called ‘Data Fix’. <br><br> He was selected for the YES Foundation Media for Social Change Fellowship in Delhi, the Talking Data to the Fourth Pillar residential workshop, and the VOICE Fellowship in Pune. <br><br> He holds certificates in COVID-19-verification reporting, data journalism, food & agriculture, tech policy, media literacy and countering misinformation, and tackling election disinformation courses from Thomson Foundation, IndiaSpend, The Dialogue, US Mission in India, and AFP. <br><br> He can be reached on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-bhirani">LinkedIn</a> or on <a href="https://x.com/GarvitBhirani">@garvitbhirani</a> on X