Indian Army soldier killed after militants abducted him in Kashmir

Srinagar: An Army soldier was found dead, with bullet injuries on his body, after being kidnapped by terrorists in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district while his colleague escaped despite sustaining bullet wounds.

Police sources said, two soldiers belonging to the 161 unit of the Territorial Army, were kidnapped by the militants from the forest area in Anantnag during a joint anti-terror operation that was launched on October 8 by the Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police.

While one of them managed to escape, even after suffering two bullet injuries, the bullet-ridden body of the other kidnapped soldier, identified as Hilal Ahmad Bhat, was recovered from Anantnag's Pathribal forest area.

The injured soldier was rushed to a medical facility for necessary treatment and his condition remains stable, sources said.

Reports said grief engulfed Nowgam village of Anantnag when the news of killing of Bhat spread. He is survived by his wife, five-year-old son, Azaan, and an infant daughter.

In a post on social media platform X, Army’s Srinagar-based Chinar Corp said, “Based on intelligence input, a joint counter-terrorist operation was launched by the Indian Army along with Jammu and Kashmir Police and other agencies in Kazwan Forest in Kokernag on October 8. The operation continued overnight as one soldier of the Territorial Army was reported missing.”

The incident comes just a day after results of first Assembly polls after abrogation of Article 370 were announced, with an alliance-led National Conference set to form a government.