Two snow slides hit Pakistani army posts in Pakistani administered Kashmir near defacto border with India, killing 8 soldiers and 5 civilians

Islamabad, Dec 1 / NationalTurk – At least eight Pakistani soldiers and killed civilians were killed in a snow slide in Pakistani administered Kashmir. Three soldiers and five civilians are still missing and rescue operation is going on.

Pakistan military officials said heavy snowfall triggered two snow slides at a remote outpost in the Sharda Kel area of Pakistan-administered Kashmir near the de facto border with India.

“The first snow slide killed three soldiers in Kel area of Pakistan Kashmir on Friday evening. A team of 18 persons comprising eight soldiers and 10 civilians launched the rescue operation. The rescue work of the team was being hampered by the hostile weather conditions,” they said.

The said another snow slide struck the area and the rescuers were caught in the avalanche. “They were buried under snow and another rescue operation was launched to track them down”.

According to Pakistan army spokesman the search and rescue teams have also recovered bodies of  five soldiers including an officer were recovered on Saturday. “The bodies of four civilians were also recovered”.

He said the search for remaining missing persons is underway.  “Three soldiers and five civilians are still missing and rescue operation is going on”.

140 Pakistani soldiers buried in April 2012

About 140 Pakistan soldiers were buried when a huge wall of snow crashed into the remote Siachen Glacier, world’s highest battlefield, in Pakistani administered Kashmir in April this year.

The Pakistan government declared all the buried soldiers as dead. Bodies of some of the soldiers have not been retrieved yet.

Earlier, in February 2012, 16 Indian soldiers were killed when two avalanches swept through Indian army camps near the defacto border with Pakistan.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

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