the body of an Indian soldier found thirty-eight years after his disappearance

Chander Shekhar disappeared thirty-eight years ago. The remains of this Indian soldier were found on the Siachen Glacier in the Himalayas. A unit of the Indian army published, Wednesday August 17, photos of his coffin, wrapped in an Indian flag.

Mortal Remains of LNk(Late) Chander Shekhar who made the supreme sacrifice while being deployed for Operation #Meghdoot in 1984 arrived in #Leh. Wreath laying was carried out with full military honours. Mortal remains to be handed over to family@adgpi @lg_ladakh @ANI pic.twitter.com/6epIqhZPEn

— @firefurycorps_IA (@firefurycorps) August 17, 2022

According to the army, the soldier had been deployed as part of Operation Meghdoot in 1984, when India and Pakistan began to fight for control of the Siachen Glacier in the Himalayan region of Ladakh. . Siachen, which culminates at more than 5,400 meters above sea level and where temperatures can drop to -50°C, is one of the toughest military deployment areas in the world.

The soldier’s funeral will be celebrated with military honors in the state of Uttarakhand, in northern India, where his family lives. The return of his remains will allow his family to finally turn the page, said his daughter to the Hindustan Times (link in English).

According to the local press, Chandler Shekhar died after being caught in an avalanche while patrolling with a group of 20 soldiers. Fifteen bodies had been recovered at the time, and he was one of five soldiers who have since gone missing. Several decades after the first battle for control of Siachen, India and Pakistan maintain a military presence in this extremely isolated region.