During the operation, security personnel and a civilian machine operator were trapped in avalanches
A combination of distributed photos of Engineer Essa, Sepoy Rizwan and Captain Asmad who were martyred during a snow clearing operation. Photo: ISPR
Three security personnel lost their lives in glacial avalanches during snow clearing at Burzil Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.
According to the ISPR, the operation was carried out on the night of 2-3 January 2026 using heavy machinery to open the Burzil Pass and facilitate the operational movement of forces. The mission was led by Captain Asmad, 28, who hailed from Lahore.
“Around 2 o’clock on January 3, while the operation was going on, a glacier slipped, as a result of which Captain Asmad, two soldiers and a civilian engineer from the Public Works Department came under it.
Read: Pakistan test-fires initially developed Taimoor cruise missile
The military’s media wing said that after an extensive rescue effort, all four persons were rescued from the snow. However, the condition of Captain Asmad, Sepoy Rizwan, 32, a resident of Attock, and the civilian machine operator, Essa of Astore, deteriorated and ‘all three persons embraced Shahadat’.
“These individuals made the ultimate sacrifice by leading a challenging operation in extreme weather conditions to facilitate operational movement of forces,” the ISPR said, adding that their devotion to duty was a testament to the determination of the Pakistan Armed Forces to serve the country, even at the cost of their lives.
