Bathinda military station firing: Four army jawans killed, terror angle ruled out

In the early hours of Wednesday morning, four army jawans were killed in a firing incident at a military station in Bathinda, Punjab. The police have ruled out a terror angle in the incident, and the area has been sealed off while search operations are conducted. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be briefed by Army Chief General Manoj Pande about the incident.

According to a statement by the Indian Army, the firing incident resulted in the deaths of four army jawans from an artillery unit. The statement also noted that there were no other injuries to personnel or damage to property. The area continues to be sealed off, and joint investigations with the Punjab Police are being conducted to establish the facts of the case.

The statement further added that all aspects, including the possible involvement of an INSAS rifle along with 28 rounds that were reported missing two days before the incident, are being ascertained. The families of the deceased jawans are being informed about the loss of lives.

The incident occurred two days after an INSAS rifle with a magazine had gone missing from the Bathinda military station, and its misplacement is also being probed. The suspected shooter has been cornered in the officer's mess, according to the Bathinda Police.

Initial inputs suggest that an army jawan possibly opened fire at others in the secured campus. However, it does not appear to be a terror attack, as per reports. This incident is reminiscent of a similar incident last year when an army soldier allegedly killed his two colleagues at Mirthal cantonment in Punjab's Pathankot district.

A case of murder under relevant sections of the IPC and the Arms Act was registered against the accused. In 2021, an army jawan was allegedly shot dead by his colleague over an argument in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir.