Snow slide during clearance operation in Pakistan’s north kills three, including army officer

ISLAMABAD: A snow slide during a military-led clearance operation at the high-altitude Burzil Pass in northern Pakistan killed two soldiers and a civilian machine operator in the early hours of Saturday, the Pakistani military said.

The incident occurred around 2 a.m. on Jan. 3 while heavy machinery was being used to clear snow and reopen the pass to facilitate the operational movement of Pakistani forces.

Located in Gilgit-Baltistan, Burzil Pass sits on a rugged, high-altitude route linking Astore to Gurez near the Line of Control with Indian-administered Kashmir.

“On night 2/3 January 2026, a Snow Clearance Operation was conducted, using heavy machinery to open Burzil Pass to facilitate operational movement of own forces in the area,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said.

It added that the operation was being led by Captain Asmad, 28, when the snow slide struck, trapping him along with two soldiers and a civilian operator from the public works department.