The bullet-riddled body of Territorial Army (TA) soldier Hilal Ahmad Bhat was found in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Wednesday, after he was abducted by terrorists. The discovery was made by security forces following a massive search operation in the Sanglan forest area of Utrasoo.
According to police reports, Bhat had gone missing on Tuesday from the Shah area in Anantnag. After receiving intelligence inputs, a joint counter-terrorist operation was initiated by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and other security agencies in the Kokernag region of the Kazwan Forest. The operation extended through the night in an effort to locate the missing jawan.
“Based on intelligence input, a joint counter-terrorist operation was launched by #IndianArmy along with @JmuKmrPolice & other agencies in Kazwan Forest #Kokernag on 08 Oct 24. Operation continued overnight as one soldier of the Territorial Army was reported missing,” stated the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps of the Army on microblogging platform X.
OP KOKERNAG, #Anantnag
Based on intelligence input, a joint counter terrorist operation was launched by #IndianArmy alongwith @JmuKmrPolice & other agencies in Kazwan Forest #Kokernag on 08 Oct 24. Operation continued overnight as one soldier of Territorial Army was reported… pic.twitter.com/h1HV51ROKS
— Chinar Corps🍁 – Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) October 9, 2024
Similar Incidents Of Abduction
The abduction and killing of soldiers in the region have become a recurring pattern in the past few years. In August 2023, another Army soldier, Wani, went missing from his hometown in the Kulgam district of Kashmir while on leave. He had disappeared after leaving his home to buy groceries, only for his car to be found abandoned with bloodstains. Fortunately, Wani was located by the police soon after.
In an earlier incident in 2019, another soldier, Yasin Bhat, narrowly escaped an abduction attempt at his home in Qazipora, Budgam. Terrorists had entered his home, but after a scuffle, Bhat managed to escape.
A Worrying Trend in South Kashmir
Over the past eight years, more than five soldiers have been abducted and killed in different regions of South Kashmir, particularly in the districts of Shopian and Kulgam. These attacks highlight the ongoing threat faced by security personnel in the region. A similar case was reported in Budgam in 2022, where yet another soldier was targeted.
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