Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Mar 22: The Pakistan officials today handed over the bodies of two youth who had drowned in river Jhelum in Uri near the Line of Control (LoC) earlier this month.
According to officials, on March 5, a young man and woman from the villages of Basgran and Kamalkote drowned in the Jhelum and were subsequently reported missing.
Army launched an extensive search operation to recover their bodies. However, despite sustained efforts, their remains could not be located.
On March 20, the Army spotted the young man’s body in the Jhelum river.
“A rescue team, including deep-sea divers, was promptly deployed to retrieve it,” officials said.
However, they noted, strong water currents carried the body beyond the LoC into the Chakothi sector of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), making recovery from the Indian side impossible.
In a demonstration of humanitarian cooperation, the Indian and Pakistani armies coordinated efforts to recover the body, officials said.
“Today at 1200 hours (IST), the bodies of both missing youths were formally handed over by Pakistani officials to the Indian Army at the Kaman Aman Setu in the Uri sector,” officials stated.
Following the handover, the remains were returned to their respective families for last rites.
The bereaved families expressed gratitude to the Indian Army for their swift response and dedicated efforts in ensuring the dignified return of their loved ones from PoJK.
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