river in Jammu and Kashmir state, in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. Rising in the Karakoram Range, the Shyok, which flows generally northwestward, is fed by numerous glaciers on its journey through the range. At times the Chong Kumdan Glacier dams the river, causing serious floods in nearby areas. Near Khapalu, in the Pakistani-held sector, the river joins the Indus. Its total length is 340 mi (550 km), and its main right-bank tributary is the Nubra.