Four personnel were killed in an early Wednesday morning firing inside Bathinda military station, Punjab, which has forced the Army to cordon off the area and activate its quick reaction teams to hunt down the perpetrator.
The South Western Command Head Quarters confirmed “four fatal casualties” and stated that search operations are in progress after the “firing incident reported in the early hours of the morning around 04.35 hours inside Bathinda Military Station”.
Four army jawans of an artillery unit succumbed to gunshot injuries sustained during the incident. No other injuries to personnel or loss/damage to property have been reported, the Command HQ stated.
The Army officially did not share details of the deceased nor about a person or persons who triggered the gun but sources stated that persons in Kurta Pyjama were spotted moving suspiciously at the place firing happened inside the military station.
An INSAS rifle has been used to sniff out lives and a jawan is also missing, said sources privy to details emerging from the spot. All aspects including the possible case of involvement of an INSAS rifle along with 28 rounds reported missing two days back are being ascertained, said the Army.
“It could be a case of fratricide,” was the initial reaction of one of the sources but the Army is waiting for more details to arrive at a complete picture of the incident. Joint investigations with Punjab Police are being coordinated to establish the facts of the case, the South Western Command HQ emphasised.
Earlier incidencies
According to government statistics, Army reported two cases of fratricide in 2019. Only one case of fratricide was reported in 2018 while death by suicide was 80.
Similarly, in 2017 too, there was only one reported instance of fratricide though death by suicide was 75, and in 2016, there were two cases of fratricide and 104 instances of death by suicide.
The tri-services — Army, Air Force and Navy, run an elaborate mental health programme since 2009 to handle the stress issues of their personnel. Besides that, stress management sessions are organised at regular intervals at all major stations.