Six Indian Army soldiers were killed when a routine movement of troops was hit by an avalanche in Sub Sector Hanif, Turtuk Sector, south west of the Saltoro Ridge at around 0615 hours on Sunday. One soldier is still missing.
Neither the seven soldiers nor their regimental affiliations have been disclosed so far.
Troop movements in the area are generally carried out in the morning when the weather is generally calm and the snows are stable.
16 Indian soldiers were killed in last February when avalanches hit their camps at Sonemarg and Dawar, while seven army and Border Security Force (BSF) troops were killed when an avalanche hit their patrol in January.
An avalanche had struck a Pakistan Army camp at Gayari last April, killing around 140 troops.
Sub Sector Hanif is located to the west of NJ 9842 on the Line of Control (LoC). NJ 9842 is the last point defined on the LoC under the Karachi agreement of 1948. The Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) stems from NJ 9842.
Sub Sector Hanif is named after the Kargil War hero, Captain Hanifuddin of the 11 Rajputana Rifles who was killed in the Turtuk sector.
