Srinagar: Four Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were killed after one of their colleagues allegedly opened fire at a camp at the Sewa 2 hydel power project in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district on Tuesday.

The firing took place among CISF personnel deployed at the hydel power project. The four personnel initially sustained serious injuries and were taken for medical treatment, but later succumbed to their injuries.

The incident is being treated as a case of fratricide, which refers to violence or firing involving personnel belonging to the same force. The exact circumstances that led to the shooting are not yet known.

According to preliminary reports, an argument may have preceded the firing. However, authorities have not yet established the reason for the altercation or what led to the shooting.

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The personnel who were injured in the firing have been identified in preliminary reports as Assistant Commandant Ankit Kumar Pandey, Sub-Inspector Laxman Singh, Constable Rafiq Ahmad and Constable Sandeep Kumar. They were reportedly shifted to a hospital in Himachal Pradesh for treatment, where they later succumbed to their injuries.

The colleague accused of opening fire has been identified as Head Constable Awadhesh Singh. He has reportedly been taken into custody following the incident.

A team from the Kathua district police reached the project site and began investigating the incident. The CISF has also launched an internal probe to determine what happened.

The CISF headquarters has ordered a Court of Inquiry to establish the sequence of events and determine the circumstances that led to the firing. The inquiry is expected to examine the events before the shooting, the reported argument and the circumstances in which the weapon was discharged.

Security has reportedly been strengthened at and around the hydel power project following the incident.

The motive behind the firing and the exact sequence of events remain under investigation. Further details are expected as the police investigation and the CISF inquiry progress.