Two J&K Police SPOs Missing in Kishtwar’s Dachhan Area; Army and Police Intensify Search
Quick summary
Two Special Police Officers of the J&K Police’s SOG have been missing in Kishtwar’s Dachhan area since Wednesday. Police and the Army’s Rashtriya Rifles have launched a large search using drones and sniffer dogs.
Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) have been missing since Wednesday in the high-altitude Dachhan region of Kishtwar district. J&K Police and the Army’s Rashtriya Rifles (RR) have launched a large joint search to find them.
Who Is Missing
The two men are Babi Chand (57) and Rashpal Kumar (45). Both were posted at the SOG camp in Kiyar village in Dachhan. According to officials, they were heading from the Kiyar camp to an Army post at Dharna-Marwah (spelled Dherna or Deharna in some reports) to relieve personnel manning an RR Temporary Operating Base. They never reached the post.
Phones Went Silent
Their mobile phones were reachable at first but were later switched off, which raised alarm. The region is remote, with weak network coverage, and some parts of the route must be covered on foot through thick forest.
Reports of Gunshots
Some reports say the SPOs were on a patrol deployed with 17 RR for area domination. Locals reportedly heard gunshots in the forested stretch between Kiyar and Derana/Deharna around the time contact was lost, and some accounts say the officers were carrying their service weapons. These details have not been officially confirmed.
Search Widens on Day Two
The joint search began right away, with teams combing the mountainous, forested terrain around the route. By Thursday, November 12, the operation was in its second day. It was expanded with more personnel, drones and sniffer dogs to cover hard-to-reach stretches and check trails and remote pockets for signs of movement. Some reports also mention CRPF involvement. No trace of the two officers has been found so far.
Officials Urge Caution
Officials said it is too early to link the disappearance to militant activity until the facts are established. The incident has, however, drawn fresh attention to security in Kishtwar’s remote belt. The district’s forested upper reaches still see some residual militant presence, despite repeated counter-insurgency operations that have killed several active terrorists in recent years, and the rugged terrain remains a challenge for forces.
The search continues, and further details are awaited on what happened to the two SPOs.
Tags
- Kishtwar
- Dachhan
- SPO
- Special Operations Group
- J&K Police
- Rashtriya Rifles
- missing personnel
- search operation
