Kishtwar, November 12: The bullet riddled bodies of two Special Police Officers (SPOs), who had been missing since November 10, were recovered from a forest area in the Dachhan sector of Kishtwar district on Thursday, officials said.
The deceased were identified as SPO Rashpal Kumar, aged 45, bearing Belt No. 65, and SPO Bobby Chand, aged 57, bearing Belt No. 920. Both belonged to Kiyar Dachhan and were posted with the Special Operations Group (SOG), Kiyar Sector, Dachhan, in Kishtwar district, reported by Greater Kashmir News.
Officials said the two officers had been detailed for rotation duty at the Army camp in Dharna, Sector Marwah. However, they failed to report for duty and were later reported untraceable, prompting concern among their colleagues and security agencies.
Soon after the disappearance was reported, a massive search and cordon operation was launched across the difficult and forested terrain of Dachhan. Security forces, police personnel, and local teams combed the area in an effort to locate the missing officers.
Their bodies, bearing bullet injuries, were eventually recovered from the forest area. Officials said the service weapons carried by the two SPOs were not found at the spot, raising serious questions about the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Following the recovery of the bodies, security forces intensified their operation in the area. Teams are now working to trace those responsible and establish the sequence of events that led to the officers going missing and later being found dead.
The incident has cast a shadow of grief over Kiyar Dachhan, where both officers were well known residents. Authorities have not yet disclosed further details about the investigation, but officials indicated that all possible angles are being examined.
The recovery of the bodies has also heightened security concerns in the region, with forces maintaining a strong presence in the Dachhan sector as the search for the attackers continues.
