3 army officers among 5 injured as colleague opens fire, explodes grenades

At least five army personnel, including three officers, were injured when an officer allegedly opened fire and exploded grenades inside a camp in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, official sources said.

The officer, said to be of the rank of major, opened fire on his colleagues without provocation during a shooting practice session and then took shelter in the armoury of the unit and lobbed grenades at his superiors who moved near the building in an effort to persuade him to surrender, the sources said.

The tense situation lasted nearly eight hours before the officer was overpowered inside the armoury. The incident took place at the Neeli post near Thanamandi in the district.

The army evacuated a village in the close vicinity of the armoury as a precautionary measure, they said.

The army, however, claimed that an officer was injured in a likely grenade accident at a post in Rajouri.

"On 05 Oct 23 one officer was injured in a likely grenade accident at a post in Rajouri sector. Officer evacuated and stable post initial treatment. Further investigation of the incident in progress," the White Knight Corps of the army posted on X.

The sources said there was a firing practice going on at the camp for the past several days and the accused officer started firing on his colleagues and subordinates without any provocation on Thursday.

Later, he took shelter inside the armoury of the camp and hurled grenades when the commanding officer, along with his deputy and medical officer, moved near the building in an effort to persuade him to surrender, the sources said.

All the three officers were injured when a grenade, hurled by the accused, exploded near them, they said, adding the condition of the second-in-command of the unit was stated to be "critical".

Two other soldiers were also injured in the indiscriminate firing by the accused who was overpowered around 11 pm, the sources said.

On the incident, Jammu-based defence PRO Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said in a message, "I have received calls about some firing/terrorist attack on army camp in General Area Rajouri. I would like to inform you that no terrorist attack has occurred, it is an unfortunate internal incident of the camp.