Six soldiers were killed and one went missing when an avalanche struck the Siachen glacier area before dawn during inter-post movement of troops.
Six men belonging to the 1st Assam Regiment, deployed in the Hanif sub-sector in Siachen glacier area, died in the avalanche that struck at about 6.13am, Army spokesman Lt Col J S Brar said in Srinagar.
One soldier is still missing and efforts are being made to locate him, Brar said.
This is for the first time in several years that an avalanche has hit an Indian position in the glacier area, the sources said. Siachen glacier is considered as the world’s highest battlefield.
The Assam unit is part of the 102 Siachen Brigade and is located at altitudes of around 15-16,000 feet, the sources said.
Brar said the operation to trace the missing soldier will be resumed on Monday after it was called off during the day due to bad weather.
An avalanche had hit a Pakistani Army camp in the glacier area last year killing over 100 troops. India has deployed its troops in Siachen for close to 30 years and has lost more people to the weather and terrain than to enemy bullets.
However, it has brought down such casualties by ensuring adaptation of the personnel to the conditions and through scientific research by DRDO to improve living conditions of jawans. India and Pakistan, which have held several rounds of talks to resolve the Siachen issue, were close to an agreement a few years back on demilitarizing the region but the accord failed as Pakistan refused to authenticate its military position.
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