Srinagar, Feb 25 — The Jammu and Kashmir Police has deployed a newly raised elite unit—the Snow Leopard squad—to patrol snow-bound and mountainous regions of Kashmir, beginning with Gulmarg, amid the ongoing Khelo India Winter Games, officials said on Wednesday.
The squad, trained specifically for extreme high-altitude operations, has been pressed into service for the first time to secure athletes, officials and visitors at elevations touching nearly 14,000 feet. A senior police officer said the deployment marks the operational debut of the unit designed for mountain security and harsh terrain.
“This is the first operational deployment of the Snow Leopard squad. It has been raised for mountain warfare and security duties in extreme conditions,” the officer said.
Officials said the unit underwent more than six months of intensive, specialised training alongside elite formations, including the Army’s Para Commandos and the Greyhounds Special Forces, to strengthen combat readiness and coordination.
“Personnel are trained to function in sub-zero temperatures down to minus 20 degrees Celsius, low-oxygen environments, dense forests and avalanche-prone areas,” an official said.
According to police, the squad has been constituted to respond to emerging threats in high-altitude zones where difficult terrain and severe weather can be exploited. The unit is drawn largely from the J&K Police’s Special Operations Group and functions as a dedicated wing for snow and mountain operations.
“The idea is to have a force that can operate where conventional units face limitations,” the officer added.
Beyond combat roles, the Snow Leopard squad has received disaster-response training to deal with avalanches, landslides and other mountain emergencies. The unit currently has over 100 trained personnel and can be deployed across Jammu and Kashmir wherever high-altitude operations are required, officials said.
The move follows months of search operations in the Chenab belt, culminating in the killing of three foreign militants in high-altitude encounters.