Avalanche buries Pakistani soldiers at headquarters on Himalayan glacier

ISLAMABAD – An avalanche smashed into a Pakistani army base on a Himalayan glacier along the Indian border early this morning, burying around 100 soldiers, the military said.

Helicopters, search dogs and military troops were deployed to the remote Siachen Glacier to rescue those who are trapped, according to a military statement.

The avalanche hit a battalion headquarters in the glacier’s Gayari sector, according to a security official who didn’t give his name because he is not an official spokesman.

Siachen is on the northern tip of the divided Kashmir region claimed by both India and Pakistan.

Both countries station hundreds of troops there, who brave viciously cold temperatures, altitude sickness and high winds for months at a time.

Troops have been deployed at elevations of up to 22,000 feet and have skirmished intermittently since 1984.

The glacier is known as the world’s highest battlefield.

More soldiers have died from the harsh weather there than combat.