All 10 soldiers who went missing after an avalanche hit their post in Siachen are dead, the Indian Army said on Thursday. Earlier in the day, the Defence Ministry had said that the chances of finding survivors were low. “With deepest regret we have to state that chances of finding any survivors are very remote,” a spokesman for the ministry had said, adding that specialised equipment had been flown in to Leh on Thursday morning to boost their rescue efforts.

According to Pakistani daily Dawn, the director general of military operations of the Pakistan Army had offered to assist with the rescue operations. The DGMO reportedly called his Indian counterpart Ranbir Singh on Thursday morning. However, Singh declined the offer saying required resources had already been put in place, PTI reported.

Army and air force teams were deployed in Siachen to rescue the 10 soldiers who went missing after an avalanche struck the region early on Wednesday. The army post at Siachen is 19,600 feet above sea level – the highest in the world. Four soldiers died in another avalanche in the region on January 4. There have been more soldier deaths in Siachen as a result of extreme weather than casualties in battle.