Avalanche buries 135 Pak soldiers near Siachen

About 135 Pakistan army soldiers were hit by an avalanche at a camp in the Siachen sector early on Saturday morning, according to media reports.

The avalanche hit a battalion headquarters at Gyari in the Siachen sector at 6 am, TV news channels reports.

Some 135 soldiers, including a colonel, were believed to have been buried under the snow, the reports said. A rescue operation had been launched in the desolate region following the avalanche.

There were reports of casualties but these could not be independently confirmed. There was no official word on the incident from the Pakistan army.

Gyari is home to an important battalion headquarters and at one time, up to 3,000 soldiers were based in the area. Following the ceasefire along the frontiers in Jammu and Kashmir, both India and Pakistan reduced troops levels.

The Siachen glacier is known as the world's highest and coldest battlefield.

More Indian and Pakistani soldiers have been killed by adverse weather than hostilities in the sector.