The “Snow Leopards” of the Jammu and Kashmir Police is a specialised team of elite personnel from the Special Operations Group (SOG) specifically trained to combat a strategic shift in terrorism from urban areas to high-altitude, mountainous terrain.
The unit was formed in response to terrorists infiltrating and hiding in the dense, snow-bound forests and upper reaches of the Jammu and Kashmir regions to avoid traditional ground operations.
The specialised “Snow Leopards” unit of the Jammu and Kashmir Police is trained through a multi-tiered program involving both internal police leadership and external elite military institutions.
Elite instructors from the High-Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg and the PARA Special Forces provide advanced training in mountain craft, high-altitude survival, and glacier warfare.
Some units have also been trained by the Greyhounds of Telangana, experts in jungle warfare, to adapt anti-Naxal tactics to the dense forests of J&K. The training lasts six months and includes specialisation in air, soil, and water warfare.
The Snow Leopard Squad has been trained to operate in extreme weather and hostile terrain, including sub-zero temperatures dipping to minus 20 degrees Celsius, low-oxygen high-altitude zones, and avalanche-prone areas. In addition to counter-terror operations, the commandos have received specialized training in disaster response, including handling avalanches, landslides, and other natural calamities common in mountainous regions.
The training is not a single session but a series of specialized modules. Over 1,000 officers recently underwent a six-month training. Among them, 55 snow leopards are out to hunt the enemies and are given tasks to cleanse snow-clad mountains in high-altitude sectors of the Gulmarg LoC and the deep forest of Gulmarg. They conduct intensive winter patrolling in sub-zero temperatures.
Their primary role is to track and neutralize highly trained foreign Pakistani terrorists who utilize rugged and snow cladded Mountain’s terrain for guerrilla-style attacks, such as the one witnessed in Pahalgam in 2024. According to security data, an estimated 100 to 150 terrorists are believed to be hiding in forested areas across Jammu and Kashmir, with nearly 95 per cent reported to be Pakistani-trained infiltrators.
With the induction of the Snow Leopard Squad, authorities believe they are better equipped to dominate difficult terrain and dismantle terrorist infrastructure in remote pockets. Officials maintain that the ultimate objective remains clear to ensure lasting peace and security across Jammu and Kashmir.
The second batch is scheduled to take the terrain of Bhaderwah and Poonch high altitudes. Beyond combat, they are often involved in high-altitude rescues, evacuating civilians and providing medical care in remote, snow-blocked villages.
