KISHTWAR, JAMMU AND KASHMIR: The bullet-riddled bodies of two Special Police Officers (SPOs), who went missing while reporting for duty, were recovered from a forest area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Thursday, November 12.
The deceased have been identified as Rashpal Kumar, 45, and Bobby Chand, 57. Their service weapons were also missing from the recovery site, raising suspicions of a possible militant attack.
Both personnel were residents of Kiyar Dachhan and were posted with the Special Operations Group (SOG) in Kiyar Sector of Dachhan. Their deaths have prompted security forces to intensify search and cordon operations across the region. <Cite refs={["turn616732search0","turn616732search1","turn616732search9"]}/>
Went Missing While Travelling for Duty
According to officials, the two SPOs went missing on November 10 after being assigned rotation duty at the Army camp in Dharna, Sector Marwah.
They were expected to reach their designated temporary operating base but failed to report at the destination. Their disappearance triggered a search operation involving security personnel in the area. Their bodies were subsequently located in a forested stretch of the Dachhan sector, bearing multiple bullet injuries.
Missing Service Weapons Raise Security Concerns
One of the most concerning aspects of the incident is the disappearance of the officers’ service weapons.
Officials confirmed that the weapons were not found at the location where the bodies were recovered. This has raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding the killings and the possibility that the attackers may have taken the weapons.
However, the identity of the assailants, their motive and the sequence of events leading to the deaths have not yet been officially established. Security agencies are working to establish the circumstances of the incident and trace those responsible. <Cite refs=
Security Operations Intensified in Kishtwar
Following the recovery, security forces intensified cordon and search operations in the Dachhan-Marwah belt to track down the suspected attackers and recover the missing weapons.
The operation is aimed at identifying those involved and establishing whether the killings were part of a larger militant plan. The difficult forested and mountainous terrain of the region presents additional challenges for search teams.
Kulgam Attack Adds to Security Concerns
The Kishtwar killings come a day after three CRPF personnel were injured in a firing incident near a security checkpoint in Akhran, close to Mir Bazar in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, on November 11.
According to officials, unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at the checkpoint before fleeing. One CRPF personnel sustained critical injuries, while the other two were also wounded. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) subsequently visited the Kulgam attack site to collect evidence as part of the investigation.
Investigations Underway
With two SPOs killed in Kishtwar and three CRPF personnel injured in Kulgam within a span of two days, security agencies are examining the incidents and strengthening operations in the affected areas.
While investigators are yet to establish a connection between the two incidents, the attacks have renewed concerns over the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The immediate priorities remain identifying the perpetrators, recovering the missing service weapons and determining the circumstances behind the killings.
The central questions remain unanswered: Who targeted the two SPOs, why were their weapons taken, and is there a wider security threat emerging in the region?