Jammu, Nov 12 (KNO): Bullet-riddled bodies of two Special Police Officers (SPOs), who went missing while on duty in the remote Dachhan-Marwah area of Kishtwar district, were recovered on Thursday.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a massive counter-terrorist operation has been launched in the area to track down the assailants.
The officer identified the deceased SPOs as Rashpal Kumar (40) and Babi Chand (57). Preliminary information suggests that the two SPOs were attacked while proceeding towards Dherna post to relieve their colleagues deployed there.
According to sources, one of the deceased sustained a bullet injury to the head, while the other had a gunshot wound to the back. Their service weapons, an INSAS rifle and a .303 rifle, were also found missing, raising suspicion that the attackers may have taken their weapons away.
Two SPOs were reportedly on patrol duty along with Army personnel when they went missing. Their mobile phones were initially reachable but were subsequently switched off, prompting concern among security agencies and leading to a search operation. Their bodies were eventually located by a search party in the Dherna Top area.
DGP PRABHAT REACHES KISHTWAR
Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat reached Kishtwar following the incident and reviewed the security situation with senior Army and police officers.
A massive joint search and cordon operation involving the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been launched to identify and apprehend the suspected attackers.
Security forces are using sniffer dogs, drones and helicopters to comb the difficult mountainous and forested terrain. The operation has been intensified to track down the assailants and recover the missing service weapons.
CM OMAR EXPRESSES GRIEF
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed profound grief and anguish over the tragic killing of two SPOs Rashpal Kumar and Babi Chand and strongly condemned the act.
The Chief Minister extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for strength and courage to bear this irreparable loss.
OLD TERROR-SUPPORTING NETWORK NOT COMPLETELY DISMANTLED: LOP SHARMA
Reacting to the killings, Jammu and Kashmir Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma termed the incident extremely unfortunate and said remnants of the terror-supporting ecosystem were still active in the region.
"Peace is gradually being established in Jammu and Kashmir, yet frustrated elements—frustrated terrorists—carry out such acts just to signal their presence," Sharma said.
He alleged that the two SPOs were kidnapped while travelling through a dense forest from Dherna towards Kiad and said the incident highlighted the continued presence of terrorist elements despite sustained security operations.
Sharma further maintained that the old terror-supporting network had not been completely dismantled and said its remaining elements would be dealt with.
Kishtwar MLA, Shagun Parihar, expressed grief over the killings, describing the incident as deeply tragic. Parihar said the bodies of the two SPOs were recovered at around 8 am and 9 am, respectively.
"Pakistan continues to persist with its nefarious conspiracies. We urge the Home Minister to ensure that those responsible for the deaths of these two SPOs are brough to book as soon as possible," she said.
Demanding a strong response, she added, "We want exact price—for these two, we want to take down four."
Pertinently, the incident comes weeks after another SPO, Bashir Ahmed, was found dead near his residence in Wanipora Trigam on October 16. Ahmed, who was posted at Pedil Police Post, had gone missing while returning home from duty with his service-issued rifle and magazine. A subsequent police investigation established that he had been murdered by relatives over an ongoing land dispute.
The latest killings have once again brought the security situation in Kishtwar's remote forest areas into focus, with security forces continuing efforts to track down the perpetrators—(KNO)