The body of one of the two soldiers who have been missing since Monday was found on Thursday in the Kokernag forests in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The search for the other soldier is underway. The body of the paratrooper was found inside the dense forests of Gadole in Kokernag. Sources said a preliminary investigation suggested that the soldier was likely to have died of hypothermia as the temperatures in the forest area had plummeted after heavy snowfall. Army teams are looking for the other paratrooper. On Monday, the Army lost communication with its two elite para commandos, who were on a combing operation. The Gadole forests have seen the presence of militants in the past. In 2023, Army Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Donchak, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Muzamil were killed in a gunfight in the forests. Police sources said that earlier, militants of Jaish and Lashkar had also set up a base in these forests. Sources said that large contingents of the Army have been deployed in the area and are combing “every inch” of the forest.
