SWAT, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: The Syed Ali Shah body recovery operation ended after 54 days when rescuers retrieved the mountaineer’s remains from about 5,200 metres on Falak Sar.
The rescue team brought the body to base camp despite difficult terrain and adverse weather. A helicopter evacuation could not proceed because of weather conditions, forcing the team to begin carrying the body on foot toward Kalam.
Shah, an experienced mountaineer and local guide from Khwazakhela, Swat, died after suffering serious injuries during a descent from Falak Sar in July. Earlier rescue efforts were repeatedly hampered by steep terrain, snowfall and unsafe mountain conditions.
Missing Swat mountaineer Mian Syed Ali Shah is believed to have been located . Young volunteers say they spotted his body using a drone and are appealing for an urgent recovery operation.
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— Bogar Khattak (@Bogar_Khattak) August 29, 2026
His body was located on the Falak Sar Glacier at roughly 5,200 metres with the help of a drone in late August. His family subsequently appealed to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for assistance in recovering the remains from the inaccessible site.
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Falak Sar is the highest peak in Swat and lies in the Hindu Kush range above the Kalam Valley. Shah had previously climbed the mountain and other peaks in the region.