Two army personnel were killed when an avalanche hit an army patrol in the southern Siachen glacier sector in the Union Territory of Ladakh on Saturday, officials said.

A Srinagar-based defence spokesperson said the Army patrol was operating at an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet in Southern Siachen Glacier when it was hit by the avalanche during the early hours of Saturday.

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He said an Avalanche Rescue Team (ART) following the patrol immediately rushed and managed to locate and pull out all members of the team. Simultaneously, Army helicopters were pressed into service to rescue them, he added.

However, despite best efforts by the medical teams, two Army personnel succumbed in the avalanche," the defence spokesperson said.