The Indian Army said on Thursday that all the ten soldiers who went missing after an avalanche hit their post in Siachen Glacier on Wednesday were presumed to have died.
Ten soldiers, including nine jawans of the Indian Army's 19 Madras battalion and one junior commissioned officer (JCO), were trapped after an avalanche came crashing down on their post situated at 19,600 feet on the Actual Ground Position Line, which is India's border with Pakistan at Siachen. The Siachen Glacier is the highest battlefield in the world.
"It is a tragic event and we salute the soldiers who braved all challenges to guard our frontiers and made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty," General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Lt General D S Hooda said on Thursday, according to The Indian Express.
The defence ministry had said that chances of finding the soldiers alive were "very remote".
Pakistan had reportedly offered to help the Indian forces in the rescue operations, but the Indian Army said it did not require help as it had adequate resources and teams, according to ANI news agency.
About 870 Indian soldiers have lost their lives in Siachen due to the hostile weather and the terrain since the 1980s, NDTV reports.
Last month, four Ladakh Scouts soldiers were killed in an avalanche in Jammu & Kashmir's Ladakh area.
In November last year, an Indian Army captain had been killed in an avalanche in Siachen Glacier.
