imageSRINAGAR: Five Indian soldiers were trapped under heavy snow in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) on Saturday just days after another 20 people were killed by avalanches in the disputed territory, a military spokesman said.

The soldiers were approaching a border post in Machil, northwest of the main city of Srinagar along the Line of Control (LoC), when the track they were following caved in, Colonel Rajesh Kalia told AFP.

"Rescue operations to retrieve the trapped soldiers is going on," the army spokesman said.

Another 15 Indian soldiers died when a patrol and two camps were hit by avalanches in the north of the territory, that is also claimed by Pakistan, on Wednesday.

It took rescuers two days to retrieve their bodies from under tons of snow.

Five civilians were also killed this week, including four members of a family when an avalanche ripped through their home as they slept. A lone survivor was rescued.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Press), 2017

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