The Armymen were conducting a routine operation when the incident took place.
An Army officer was among 3 soldiers killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara after they fell into a deep gorge in Machhal. Their bodies were recovered after a 12-hour operation.
An Army statement said the three soldiers were out last evening for a routine task. "While moving towards the forward post, snow along the narrow track broke, leading to slipping of one JCO and two Jawaans into a deep gorge," it added.
A search operation was immediately launched and the bodies of the three soldiers were recovered early this morning.
"Incident #ChinarWarriors in #Machhal Sector. During a regular op task in forward area, a party of 01 JCO & 02 OR slipped into a deep gorge, when snow on the track gave way. Mortal remains of all the three #bravehearts have been retrieved. Further details follow. @NorthernComd_IA" the Army's Chinar Corps tweeted from its official handle earlier in the day.
The Army statement identified the dead personnel as Naib Subedar Parshotam Kumar, 43, Havildar Amrik Singh, 39, and Sepoy Amit Sharma, 23.
Naib Subedar Kumar was from Jammu and is survived by wife and two children. Late Havildar Amrik Singh was from Himachal Pradesh and he is survived by his wife and a son. Sepoy Sharma was also from Himachal. He was unmarried and is survived by his mother.
The bodies of the three soldiers will be taken to their native places for the last rites that would be conducted with full military honours, the Army said.