Body found after 38 years

THE body of an Indian soldier who went missing 38 years ago on a glacier on the border with Pakistan has been found.

A unit of the Indian Army tweeted pictures of the coffin of Chander Shekhar wrapped in an Indian flag early last Wednesday (17), two days after India celebrated the 75th anniversary of independence.

The Army said Shekhar was deployed for Operation Meghdoot in 1984 when India and Pakistan fought a brief battle to assert control over the Siachen Glacier, reputed to be the world’s highest battlefield. At more than 18,000 feet (5,486 metres) with temperatures that can plunge to -50°C, Siachen is one of the toughest military deployments in the world.

Located in the Himalayan region of Ladakh, it has long been contested between the neighbours.

Local media reported that Shekhar was part of a 20-member group that got caught in an ice storm during a patrol.

Fifteen bodies were recovered at the time but the other five could not be found, among them Shekhar, the reports said.