Avalanche kills 5 Pakistani soldiers, 4 civilians in snow-covered Kashmir

Pakistan's military says an avalanche has killed five soldiers and four civilians in the snow-covered mountains of Pakistani Kashmir.

The military in a statement says the incident took place on Friday in the Sharda sector in the Himalayan region of Kashmir.

It says the bodies of nine men, all Pakistanis, had been recovered, and a rescue operation is under way to recover the remaining missing persons.

The military provided no other details.  Other army officials say the victims were traveling on foot at the time and some of the rescuers were hit by a second slide.

Avalanches and landslides are common in Kashmir, which is divided between Pakistan and neighboring India.

In April, an avalanche at the Siachen Glacier of Pakistan's part of Kashmir killed 140 people, including 129 soldiers.

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