Siachen is on the northern tip of the divided Kashmir region claimed by both India and Pakistan. It is the world’s highest and coldest battlefield. The two neighbouring countries have deployed troops at elevations of up to 6,700 meters (22,000 feet) there. There have been intermittent skirmishes since 1984, and the region is known as the world’s highest battlefield. More soldiers have died from the harsh weather there than combat. On 7 April 2012, an avalanche hit a Pakistani military base near the Siachin Glacier region, trapping 140 soldiers and civilian contractors under deep snow. It is the worst avalanche the Pakistani military has ever experienced in the area. Due to the remoteness and extreme weather conditions, rescue operations were expected to take several days to complete but the Pakistani rescue operation joined hands with teams from Germany and Switzerland to speed up the process. In these difficult times, PDMA Punjab handed over a sum of 5 Lac rupees each to families of the soldiers who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident.