SRINAGAR: The snow laden mountains of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a double tragedy on Thursday, as the region mourned the loss of soldiers on two fronts, one to nature’s unforgiving terrain, the other to the persistent shadow of militancy, according to Greater Kashmir.
In an accident that shook the Bhaderwah region, ten Army personnel lost their lives when their armored vehicle plummeted into a 250 foot deep gorge along the treacherous Bhaderwah–Chamba highway. The incident occurred around 10 a.m. near Khanni Top, perched at a dizzying altitude of 9,000 feet above sea level.
Twenty one soldiers from the Rashtriya Rifles unit were conducting routine surveillance in the higher altitudes when their Casspir; a formidable Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle, skidded off the icy road and tumbled into the abyss below. The vehicle, designed to withstand mine blasts with its distinctive V-shaped hull, could not defy gravity’s cruel pull.
Rescue teams rushed to the scene, evacuating the injured to Sub District Hospital Bhaderwah. Medical personnel declared three soldiers dead on arrival, while a fourth succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Additional Deputy Commissioner Sunil Kumar Bhutyal confirmed that ten soldiers were airlifted to Command Hospital in Udhampur, while one remained under observation. Eleven others sustained injuries in the devastating crash.
Meanwhile, in Kishtwar district’s dense forests, another battle unfolded. Security forces engaged holed up terrorists in a fierce gunfight that erupted Thursday morning in the Singhpora area. This confrontation marked a dangerous escalation of an operation that began Sunday in Sonnar village, which had already claimed one paratrooper’s life and left seven soldiers wounded.
Intelligence sources suggest two to three militants, allegedly linked to the Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad, remain trapped in the encounter zone. Authorities unearthed a major terrorist hideout Monday and detained several individuals for questioning as the operation intensified.
As heavy firing echoed through the Chatroo belt’s frozen wilderness, Kashmir once again reminded the nation of the dual price its defenders pay, battling both hostile elements and determined enemies in one of the world’s most challenging terrains.
