Army rules out terror link after JCO dies of gunshot injury in J&K’s Samba

Jammu: A junior commissioned officer (JCO) of the Army was killed in a gunshot incident on Wednesday while on duty in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district.

Officials said the injured JCO was immediately shifted to the hospital, but he succumbed to critical injury.

While an investigation has been started into the incident, officials said, any terrorist angle to the incident has been ruled out.

More details were awaited.

Incidents of accidental firing resulting in fatal injuries to deployed Army and security forces have been witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir in the past as well.

Careless handling of service weapons or a weapon going off accidentally due to some other reason has cost the precious lives of the deployed forces in past as well.

Long duty hours in hostile conditions and separation from families with a lack of entertainment in deployed areas have been cited by counsellors as the main reasons for lack of alertness among the deployed forces.

Periodic leaves to join families, entertainment avenues at barracks and headquarters, better command and control structure are some of the remedial measures suggested for sustained alertness among the deployed forces doing duties in hostile environments.

Soldiers deployed in higher reaches, where heavy snowfall results in avalanches and other weather-related calamities, also impacts the living conditions of the soldiers.

The Army bunkers are sometimes hit by these avalanches and snowstorms, resulting in unforeseen casualties.

IANS