ISLAMABAD, APR 07 (DNA) — Pakistan is observing 11th anniversary of Gayari tragedy to pay tribute to Pakistan Army officers and soldiers besides civilians who were martyred in a fatal avalanche in Siachen which is described as “highest battlefield between Pakistan and India”.

On April 7, 2012, an avalanche hit a military camp in Gayari burying 129 soldiers and 11 civilians under 70 feet snow. After a long operation, all of them were declared dead by the authorities, making it one of the most tragic incidents.

Today, people took to Twitter to remember the courage and sacrifices rendered by the armed forces. The Sixth Northern Light Infantry Regiment was deployed in the Gayari sector located in the east of the world’s second highest peak, K2, in Gilgit-Baltistan region.

On that day, the massive avalanche hit the battalion headquarters-size Pakistani post, which had been operating in the region for the last two decades to counter India, burying it under the massive snow.

The army immediately launched a rescue and search operation with assistance from international teams from the US, Germany and others. The rescuers managed to recover most of the bodies using heavy machinery after prolonged efforts. — DNA