Jammu and Kashmir Police has launched the “Snow Leopard Squad”, a high-altitude combat unit comprising elite Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel. This first-of-its-kind formation reflects the strategic shift in terrorism in the Jammu and Kashmir division towards the dense, snow-covered forests and hilly uplands, where terrorists hide to avoid conventional operations.
The squad undergoes rigorous, multi-level training lasting approximately six months, led by internal police experts and external organizations. The High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg and PARA Special Forces instructors teach skills in mountain craft, high-altitude survival, glacier warfare and extreme-weather operations. Greyhounds (Telangana Anti-Naxal Force) provide jungle warfare expertise specific to the forests of J&K. Training includes disaster response to sub-zero temperatures (down to -20°C), low-oxygen zones, avalanche-prone areas, as well as avalanche, landslide and remote rescue.
More than 1,000 officers have completed this program. The first batch—55 Commando—has been deployed for intensive winter patrolling in the LoC sectors and dense forests of Gulmarg to track and neutralize highly trained foreign terrorists (estimated 100-150 in hiding, mostly Pakistani infiltrators) using guerrilla tactics seen in the 2024 Pahalgam incident.
The second batch will target high-altitude areas in Bhaderwah and Poonch. Apart from counter-terrorism, members help in high altitude evacuation, medical aid and helping common people in snow covered villages.
Officials consider this squad a game-changer in capturing difficult areas, dismantling remote terrorist infrastructure and ensuring peace forever. This promotes ongoing operations such as temporary bases at high altitude and joint security operations amid persistent infiltration threats.
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