Two missing SPOs found dead with bullet injuries in J&K’s Kishtwar

Two missing Special Police Officers (SPOs) were found dead with bullet injuries in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, triggering suspicions of a terrorist attack after their service weapons were found missing. Security forces had launched a major search operation following their disappearance while travelling between a police camp and an Army post.

Jammu: The bullet-riddled bodies of two missing Special Police Officers (SPOs) were recovered on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, said officials.

The officials said the bullet-riddled bodies of two SPOs, who were missing since Wednesday, were recovered from the remote Dachhan belt of the district.

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The service weapons of the slain SPOs were not found, raising suspicions of a possible terrorist attack.

The two SPOs identified as Babi Chand (57) and Rashpal Kumar (45) were posted with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the local police in Kiyar village in Dachhan, and had gone missing while travelling from their camp to an Army post at Dharna-Marwah.

According to reports, locals heard some gunshots in the area between Kiyar and Derana before the two SPOs went missing.

“The two were part of a patrol party. They were on their way to he makeshift base of 17 RR in the Basnan area of Inderwal. It is a remote area with poor mobile connectivity,” officials said.

Following their disappearance, a massive search operation was launched jointly by the police, CRPF and the Army to locate them.

Security teams were deployed in the surrounding areas to establish their whereabouts and ascertain the circumstances surrounding their disappearance.

It must be recalled that a Special Police Officer (SPO) who had gone missing along with his service rifle in Kishtwar district on October 14, was found dead near his residence after two days. The deceased was identified as Bashir Ahmed, 55, a resident of Wanipora Trigam. He was posted at the Pedil police post since 2025 and went missing from his post along with his service self-loading rifle (SLR).

Thursday’s recovery of the bullet-riddled bodies of two SPOs occurred barely 24 hours after the terrorists attacked a CRPF team at Akhran near Mir Bazar in Kulgam district.

Three CRPF personnel were injured in the terror attack. One critically injured CRPF jawan was later airlifted to the 92 base hospital of the Army in Srinagar city.

The other two injured CRPF personnel are stable, according to the attending doctors. J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha visited the base hospital on Wednesday evening to enquire about the welfare of the injured jawan.

Manoj Sinha assured all possible assistance to the injured trooper, while asserting that those responsible for the attack would be avenged soon.