Jammu: A soldier was killed when his service rifle went off accidentally in the Akhnoor sector of J&K’s Jammu district, officials said on Monday.
The incident occurred during operational duty at the forward Jogwan area of Khour on Sunday, an official said.
“Preliminary information suggests that the weapon of the soldier went off accidentally, causing critical injuries to him. He was immediately provided medical assistance but succumbed,” the official said.
The body of the soldier was shifted to the military hospital Akhnoor for a post-mortem examination, and would be handed over to his next of kin after completion of legal formalities, officials said.
This is the latest fatality in accidental deaths of military personnel.
On June 9, two army personnel were killed in an accidental grenade explosion during a routine equipment handover at a camp in the Uri sector.
On April 11, a soldier at the Sarna camp in Bhaderwah of Doda district was fatally injured due to the accidental discharge of his weapon while unloading the chamber.
In addition to weapon-related fatal accidents, landmine explosions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir have also resulted in casualties, including recent incidents in the Uri sector and Poonch.
These defensive landmines are deployed by the military to prevent infiltration.
On July 29, two soldiers from the 8 Rashtriya Rifles, identified as Arjun Jadhav and Vikram Balakrishna, lost their lives in an accidental blast near Kamalkote, and separate patrolling incidents left other personnel injured.
In Poonch & Rajouri, patrolling parties in sectors like Krishna Ghati have faced casualties when personnel inadvertently stepped on landmines or encountered mines displaced by heavy rains, water runoff, or landslides into unmarked areas.
Heavy defensive mining along the porous and sensitive border serves as a crucial anti-infiltration barrier, but also poses persistent accidental risks during routine area domination patrols.
In all such unfortunate accidents, the Injured troops are immediately evacuated to nearby military field or base hospitals, though many succumb to critical wounds.
Local police and military authorities routinely launch inquest proceedings and formal investigations to examine the exact circumstances behind each accidental discharge of weapons.
(IANS)
