Two SPOs go missing in J&K's Kishtwar; massive search operation launched

Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) went missing from the higher reaches of Dachhan in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Wednesday (November 12, 2026), prompting security forces to launch a massive joint search operation to trace them, officials said.

The missing personnel have been identified as Babi Chand (57) and Rashpal Kumar (45), both of whom were posted with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police at their Kiyar village in Dachhan, the officials said.

They said the two SPOs were travelling from Kiyar camp to an Army post at Dharna-Marwah when they failed to reach their destination. Their mobile phones were initially reachable but were later switched off, raising concerns about their whereabouts.

Following their disappearance, a massive search operation was launched jointly by the police and the Army's Rashtriya Rifles to locate the missing personnel. Security teams were deployed in the surrounding areas, including difficult and mountainous forest terrain, to establish their whereabouts and ascertain the circumstances surrounding their disappearance, the officials said.

They said it would be premature to link the incident to any militant activity until the facts emerge. However, the disappearance has drawn attention to the security situation in the mountainous district, which has witnessed a series of terror-related incidents over the past several years.

Kishtwar has remained a focus of security operations to eliminate the remaining militant presence in its remote and forested areas. Successive counter-insurgency operations have resulted in the killing of several active terrorists, significantly weakening their presence in the district.

Nevertheless, the difficult terrain and vast forested stretches continue to pose operational challenges for security agencies, the officials said. The district has witnessed casualties among both security personnel and terrorists in recent years.

According to the figures available, five people -- four terrorists and one Army soldier -- were killed in terror-related incidents in 2026. In 2025, the toll stood at four, comprising three terrorists and one Army soldier.

In 2024, three security personnel and two civilians lost their lives. The latest incident comes against the backdrop of repeated appeals by the district administration and security agencies for greater public cooperation in tackling terrorism and ensuring lasting peace in the region.

On October 4, Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Sharma urged residents of the remote areas of Marwah, Warwan and Dachhan to stand united against terrorism and share timely information about the movement of suspected terrorists with security forces.

"Marwah, Warwan and Dachhan areas have immense tourism potential, but the presence of active militants remains one of the key reasons restricting tourist movement in the region," Mr. Sharma had said, stressing that peace and security were essential for promoting tourism and ensuring sustainable development.