Kishtwar SPOs Found Shot Dead in Forest; Weapons Missing, Search On

Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) who went missing in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday afternoon were found dead with bullet wounds in a forest on Thursday morning, according to reports by The Hans India, India.com and Jammu Links News. Their service weapons are missing, and security forces are searching the forests for the attackers. The reports cite sources; no police statement had been published at the time of writing.

Two Bodies Two Kilometres Apart From Last Sighting

The reports say gunfire was heard around 3:30 pm on Wednesday in the Deharna forest area of Marwah. The two men, described as part of the Special Operations Group (SOG), were travelling from Kiyar Dachhan towards Basnan in the Inderwan area to relieve an Army team of the 17 Rashtriya Rifles. A search by an SOG team and the Station House Officer began around 7 pm. One body was found around 8 am and the other around 9 am on Thursday in the Dachhan forest, about two kilometres from where they were last seen.

Outlets give the men’s details differently. All three name Bobby Chand, aged 57. The second SPO, aged 45, is called Rishipal Singh by two outlets and Rashpal Kumar by a third, so IPB is not using his name until police confirm it.

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Blockades, CCTV Checks and Questioning

According to The Hans India, security forces have set up blockades and police are reviewing CCTV footage. The report says early indications point to at least three attackers, one believed to be a foreign national, and that three suspected overground workers are being questioned. These details are unconfirmed and attributed to sources. Airtel mobile service was also reported disrupted in Marwah around the time of the firing.

Kishtwar’s BJP MLA Shagun Parihar called it a “truly tragic incident” and asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure those responsible are held accountable. The Hans India reports that agencies had received general inputs of a possible attack around Diwali.

Awaiting Police Account

An official statement from J&K Police or the Army, the names of the two men and confirmation of the attackers’ identity are still awaited. IPB will update this report when they are released.

Source: Based on reporting by The Hans India, India.com and Jammu Links News. No official document was found.

Image: IPB.