Remembering the fallen heroes of Siachen

KARACHI: Two years ago, over 100 brave soldiers embraced martyrdom when an avalanche hit the military headquarters in the Gayari sector in the treacherous Siachen region.

The pride of Pakistan, the Sixth Northern Light Infantry Regiment (NLI) was on duty at the world’s highest battle ground, operating in temperatures as low as -60 C (-76 F) battling vicious winds and altitude sickness — the region is just east of the world’s second-highest peak, K-2. At such altitudes, climate has killed far more than gunfire. Casualty figures are not released, but hundreds are believed to have died there.

A battalion headquarter size Pakistani-post which had been operational in Siachen for the last two decades was lost under an avalanche 80 feet deep and almost 1 kilometer across on each side.

The avalanche buried 129 soldiers and 11 civilians under thick snow. The Pakistan Army immediately began a rescue and search operation. Using heavy machinery and round the clock operations the Army recovered 133 bodies.

The nation remembers their martyrs today and continues to pray for them.