SRINAGAR, India (AP) — An avalanche hit an Indian army post Monday on a Himalayan glacier in the disputed Kashmir region, trapping at least eight soldiers under snow, the army said.
The avalanche struck the post at a height of 5,485 meters (17,995 feet) in the northern part of the Siachen Glacier and a search and rescue operation was underway, said army spokesman Lt. Col. Devender Anand.
The glacier is on the northern tip of the divided Kashmir region claimed by India and Pakistan in an area known as the world's highest battlefield.
The two countries have deployed troops at elevations of up to 6,700 meters (21,982 feet).
There have been intermittent skirmishes since 1984 and more soldiers have died from the harsh weather there than combat.
In 2017, at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in three avalanches. In 2012, a massive avalanche in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir killed 140 people, including 129 Pakistani soldiers.
