Trained at specialised centres across the country, including Telangana, AP
Equipped with assault rifles, sniper systems, light and medium machine guns
Srinagar: With terrorists increasingly using dense forests and mountainous belts as hideouts, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have formed a dedicated high-altitude combat squad, named ” Snow Leopards” trained to operate in high altitude warfare.
The unit, comprising personnel from the Special Operations Group (SOG), the elite anti-terror wing of the J&K Police, has undergone months of training in high-altitude warfare, including at specialised academies outside the Union Territory.
Officials said the team is equipped and trained to operate in higher reaches and dense forests where terrorists are believed to be taking shelter.
One team has been deployed in the Gulmarg sector, where the Khelo India Winter Games are currently underway. Gulmarg, located close to the Line of Control, witnessed a terrorist attack in 2024 in which an Army vehicle was targeted.
A senior police officer told Kashmir Horizon exclusively that Snow Leopards have been “specially trained to operate in mountainous terrain and track down terrorists hiding in forest areas. He said they have been trained over the past year in several parts of the country.
“They have undergone training at specialised centres across the country, including in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, where they were trained in handling advanced weapon systems used by elite forces such as the Para units, the NSG and other special forces,” the police official said.
The training included the use of assault rifles, sniper systems, light and medium machine guns, grenade launchers, and other high-calibre weapons designed for precision and sustained firepower in difficult mountainous and forested terrain, significantly enhancing their operational capability in counter-terror operations.
The official said that out of 450 Special Operations Group (SOG) commandos, 55 were selected for the training. Over the past several months squad have been deployed across both Kashmir and Jammu regions to undertake counter-insurgency operations.
“They have been specially trained in Guerrilla warfare and to track the enemy in higher altitudes,” they said.
Since 2021, terrorists have increasingly used dense forests in parts of the Jammu region as hideouts after carrying out attacks on security forces and civilians.
Similar patterns have been observed in Kashmir, where forested areas have served as temporary shelters.
They further said the decision to create a specialised jungle warfare unit was prompted by a noticeable shift in terrorist strategy towards operating from remote, forested terrain.
“These trained personnel will be deployed in different parts of the Valley and Jammu region based on specific intelligence inputs, particularly in higher reaches,” an official said.
The J&K Police, the primary counter-terror force in the Union Territory, did not previously have a dedicated high-altitude warfare unit. They have three combat uniforms to familiarize themselves with the weather conditions.
In recent months, security forces have also initiated joint weekly security review meetings aimed at strengthening coordination and operational synergy among various agencies as they adapt to the changing nature of terrorism in the region.
