Security forces recovered the bullet-riddled body of a Territorial Army (TA) soldier in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Wednesday, following his abduction by terrorists. According to police, the soldier, identified as Hilal Ahmad Bhat, went missing on Tuesday from the Shah area. His body was discovered in the Sanglan forest region of Utrasoo, Anantnag. A massive search operation was underway to locate the jawan the missing personnel. 

Srinagar-based Chinar Corps of the Army said, “Based on intelligence input, a joint counter terrorist operation was launched by #IndianArmy alongwith @JmuKmrPolice & other agencies in Kazwan Forest # Kokernag on 08 Oct 24. Operation continued overnight as one soldier of Territorial Army was reported missing.” 

The In August 2023, an army soldier from Kulgam district in Kashmir went missing while on leave but was later located by police. The soldier, Wani, in his late 20s, disappeared near his home in Asthal, Kulgam. According to his family and police, he had left in his car to purchase food items, as he was due to return to Ladakh the next day to resume his duties. 

This tactic is not new by the millitants in the region, over the past eight years, more than five soldiers have been abducted and killed in various parts of Kashmir, with the majority of incidents occurring in the Shopian and Kulgam regions of South Kashmir. One such case was also reported in Budgam in 2022. 

Earlier in 2023, an army soldier from Kulgam district in Kashmir went missing while on leave but was later located by police. The soldier, Wani, in his late 20s, disappeared near his home in Asthal, Kulgam. According to media reports, he had left in his car to purchase food items, as he was due to return to Ladakh the next day to resume his duties. 

(With PTI inputs)