The JCO and the soldier went missing, according to reports, when the Army came under intense fire from militants on Thursday. “Near thickly wooded region of Nar Khas forest in Mendhar, Poonch, Subedar Ajay Singh and Naik Harendra Singh were killed in action during search operations being undertaken by the Indian Army together with Jammu and Kashmir Police,” the army said in a statement today.

The Army has recovered the remains of two troops, one of whom was a junior commissioned officer (JCO), who went missing after a fire fight with terrorists in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, on Thursday evening. The remains were discovered 48 hours after the Army started a massive search and rescue operation in the region, severely bombing the woodlands where the terrorists were thought to be hiding.

After getting information regarding the presence of terrorists near Dera Ki Gali, the Army started a search operation on Monday. Five troops were killed in the initial gunfight, including a junior Commissioned Officer (JCO).

Reinforcements were dispatched to the region, and the Army has been involved in one of the longest counter-terrorist operations in history since then.