CISF Kathua Shooting: Four Personnel Killed After Jawan Opens Fire at J&K Camp
KATHUA: Four Central Industrial Security Force personnel were killed after a fellow CISF head constable allegedly opened fire at a deployment camp at the Sewa-II Hydroelectric Project in Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday evening. An Assistant Commandant was among those killed, while the suspected shooter has been handed over to police as authorities investigate the circumstances behind the firing.
Four CISF Personnel Killed In Kathua Firing
The CISF Kathua shooting took place at a CISF deployment site linked to the Sewa-II Hydel Power Project, near the Chamera Dam on the Ravi River. The location lies in the remote area between Jammu and Kashmir’s Basohli and Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district.
According to officials cited by The Indian Express, the deceased personnel were Assistant Commandant and Company Commander Ankit Kumar Pandey, Sub-Inspector Lakshman Singh, and constables Sanjeev Kumar and Mohd. Rafiq.
The personnel reportedly suffered serious gunshot injuries and later died. A fifth person was reported injured in the incident.
CISF Jawan Firing Followed Reported Dispute
Initial information indicates that the CISF jawan firing followed a verbal dispute among personnel at the camp. However, officials have not established the precise cause of the confrontation, and the motive remains under investigation.
The suspected shooter is a CISF head constable from the 2009 batch. Officials said he was apprehended and subsequently handed over to the police. The CISF has also initiated an internal inquiry to establish what happened before and during the shooting.
The incident is being treated as a fratricide case, meaning violence in which members of the same armed or security force are killed by another member of that force.
Investigation Underway At Remote Project Site
The CISF Kathua shooting occurred at a strategically important infrastructure site where CISF personnel were deployed for security duties. Senior officers have reached the location, while police and CISF authorities are working to establish the sequence of events.
The remote geography of the site has also affected access to the area. According to officials, the location can be reached through Himachal Pradesh because of its position near the boundary between the two regions.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed a motive. Reports of an argument between personnel remain part of the preliminary account and should not be treated as the established reason for the attack until the investigation determines what led to the firing.
Officials Examine Circumstances Behind Shooting
The CISF jawan firing has prompted both a police investigation and an internal CISF inquiry. The inquiries are expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the dispute, how the shooting unfolded and whether any procedural or security issues contributed to the incident.
The deaths of four personnel have made the incident one of the most serious recent cases of violence within a CISF deployment in Jammu and Kashmir. The investigation will now determine the exact sequence of events and establish responsibility based on evidence gathered from the site and witnesses.
Further details are expected as investigators continue questioning personnel and examining the circumstances surrounding the CISF Kathua shooting.
