Army jawan, who went missing in Kashmir, recovered by J&K Police

The army soldier, who went missing from his native Kulgam district in Kashmir while he was on leave, has been recovered by police on Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir Police said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The police added that a joint interrogation will be carried out soon after a medical checkup of the soldier, identified as Javed Ahmad Wani.

Wani, who is in his late 20s, went missing near his home in south Kashmir's Kulgam on July 29. According to his family and police officials, he left his home at Asthal in Kulgam in his car to buy some food items as he was about to leave for Ladakh the next day to join back his duties.

The car was found abandoned a few distance away with blood stains, according to his family. “He left for market at 7.30 pm and after some time, we found his car with blood marks. One of his slippers and a cap was also there,” the soldier's brother, Mudasir Ahmad Wani, told HT.

Javed came home for the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha and was on leave since June 29. The family feared that he might have been kidnapped by militants. Following the incident, a massive manhunt was carried out in Kulgam and surrounding areas by security forces.

Several people were questioned and their call details examined during the search operation to find the soldier.

Meanwhile, Javed's father Mohammad Ayoub Wani had appealed those who might have abducted his son to release him alive.

"I appeal to all the brothers to let him go alive. If he has troubled anyone, I apologise for that. If they want I will get him to quit his job as well," he told reporters earlier.