LThe body of an Indian soldier who disappeared 38 years ago has been found on the Siachen Glacier, the scene of countless battles for control between India and Pakistan that have made it the world’s tallest battlefield.
An Indian army unit tweeted a photo of Chander Shekhar’s coffin wrapped in the Indian flag on Wednesday morning.
According to the army, Private Shekhar was deployed as part of Operation Meghdoot (Messenger Cloud) in 1984, when India and Pakistan began fighting for control of the Siachen Glacier, in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.
Siachen, which peaks at an altitude of over 5,400 m and where temperatures can drop to -50° Celsius, is one of the toughest military deployment areas in the world.
The soldier’s funeral will be celebrated with military honors in the (northern) state of Uttarakhand, where his family lives.
According to her daughter, who was four years old when she disappeared, the return of her remains will make her family finally turn the page.
“He is long gone (…) Father has returned, but I hope he is still alive,” he was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times daily.
According to local press, Shekhar died after being caught in an avalanche while on patrol with a group of 20 soldiers.
Fifteen bodies had been found by then, and he was one of five soldiers missing since then.
Decades after the first battle for control of Siachen, India and Pakistan maintain a military presence in this highly isolated region.
08/17/2022 13:28:52 – New Delhi (AFP) – © 2022 AFP
