An avalanche struck an army patrol at Siachen glacier in Ladakh on Monday, trapping six soldiers and two porters under mounds of snow.

Unconfirmed reports said there were six casualties in the incident, while two others were missing around eight hours after the 3pm incident.

“Eight men were trapped, out of whom six, including two porters, are dead. Two jawans are also missing and an operation is underway to rescue them,” an army officer said.

The army has not officially confirmed these casualties.

The official said the avalanche hit the patrol around 3pm in the northern part of the Siachen glacier.

“It’s a very difficult rescue operation as the area lies at an altitude of 18,000 to 19,000ft. But our men are on the job,” the officer said.

Siachen is the world’s highest battlefield, where many soldiers have died in Pakistani firing from across the border and also in natural calamities in the past.

The Valley and parts of Ladakh have received massive snowfall this month, which has increased the risk of avalanches in the region.

The Siachen glacier, which has remained out of bounds for civilians for decades, will reportedly be thrown open for tourists soon.

The Ladakh region of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory last month when the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories.