Intense Search Operation Continues for Two Missing Army Commandos in Jammu & Kashmir's Gadol Forests

The Gadol forest terrain in Jammu and Kashmir features challenging conditions with dense vegetation.

Extensive search operations are currently in progress to locate two Army commandos who went missing in the Gadol forests of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir. The search efforts include helicopters and drones, while ground forces have been systematically searching large sections of the forest area over the past three days.

The Special Forces or paratroopers disappeared while on operational duty Monday evening when they lost contact with their unit, prompting immediate search efforts. Currently, no information is available regarding the circumstances of their disappearance.

While military officials believe the missing soldiers encountered a snowstorm causing them to lose contact, weather conditions have actually improved during the last three days, with Kashmir experiencing dry and sunny weather.

The Army stated in a social media post yesterday: "On the intervening night of October 6-7, an operational team on Kishtwar range confronted a severe snowstorm and whiteout conditions in the mountains of South Kashmir. Since then, two soldiers have gone out of communication. Intense Search and Rescue operations have been launched but were hampered due to prevailing adverse weather conditions."

#IndianArmy Operation UpdateOn the intervening night of 6/7 Oct an operational team on Kishtwar range confronted a severe snow storm and white out conditions in the mountains of South Kashmir. Since then, two soldiers have gone out of communication. Intense Search and Rescue…

— Chinar Corps🍁 - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) October 8, 2025

The Gadol forest presents challenging terrain with thick vegetation and has historically been the location of several significant encounters between security forces and terrorists.

Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22, which resulted in 26 civilian casualties by heavily armed terrorists, security forces have revised their operational strategies for jungle warfare in Jammu and Kashmir.

These updated tactics include deploying small teams of soldiers in forested areas to conduct stealth operations against Pakistani terrorists trained in jungle warfare.

The missing soldiers were involved in such a mission when they lost communication. The search operation involves not only Army personnel but also Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF forces.

In the previous year, two soldiers and a civilian lost their lives during an intense gun battle in the same region. Two years prior, five security personnel, including an Army commanding officer, a Major, and a Deputy Superintendent of Police, were killed in action in the Gadol forests.

Currently, there is no confirmation whether terrorists might be responsible for the disappearance of the two Army commandos. Since October 2021, Pakistan-trained terrorists specializing in jungle warfare have conducted numerous attacks in the mountainous regions of Jammu and Kashmir.