An army jawan, identified as Sepoy Akshit Sharma, vanished Monday afternoon during a river-crossing drill in the Sunderbani area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. The disappearance occurred around 12 p.m., prompting immediate and extensive search operations.
The Army's White Knight Corps confirmed the incident via an X post, stating that "extensive search operations are underway with all available resources of the Indian Army and civil agencies being employed to locate the soldier." Divers and specialized rescue equipment have been deployed in the search for Sepoy Sharma, who was participating in what officials described as a routine operational preparedness training exercise. The incident took place in the Manawar river in the Khour area, with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joining the Army and police in the coordinated effort.
The soldier's body was later found in a stream in Rajouri. Details surrounding the exact circumstances of his recovery remain sparse in initial reports.
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The Army unit was reportedly conducting the river-crossing drill as part of its regular training regimen. The precise cause or sequence of events leading to Sepoy Sharma becoming untraceable remains under scrutiny as search efforts, now a recovery operation, continue.