4 soldiers shot dead in Bathinda Army base, search for assailants

There was no official word on who carried out the attack and a combing operation was underway.

The Army said an INSAS rifle, reported missing along with 28 ammunition rounds two days ago, was recovered by a search team and would be sent for forensic examination.

The Army’s X Corps, responsible for south Punjab and north Rajasthan, has its headquarters in Bathinda and is part of the South Western Command.

Bathinda SP (Detective) Ajay Gandhi identified the four Army personnel killed as Gunner Sagar Banne, Gunner Kamalesh R, Gunner Yogeshkumar J and Gunner Santosh M Nagral.

#WATCH | The gates of the Bathinda Military Station have been closed following a firing incident that has left four dead. Punjab police sources have said that there is no terror angle to the incident.

Visuals from outside the military station deferred by unspecified time. pic.twitter.com/b91Wc75WeX

— ANI (@ANI) April 12, 2023

On the basis of a complaint lodged by Major Ashutosh Shukla of 80 Medium Regiment of the Artillery, Bathinda Police lodged an FIR against two unidentified persons who were said to be wearing kurta-pyjamas and had their faces covered when they shot and killed the four Army jawans.

The complainant said the four jawans were in a barrack adjacent to the officers’ mess. They were sleeping in their rooms – two in each – after completing night duty. Major Shukla said around 4.30 am, he was informed by another jawan of the unit that a firing incident had taken place at the barrack.

In his complaint, Major Shukla said when he reached the spot along with another officer of the unit, he saw two men of medium height and good build, wearing kurta-pyjamas, with one of them holding an INSAS rifle in his hand and another holding an axe. Both had their faces and heads covered with cloth, he said. The two men, he said, fled from the spot upon seeing him and ran towards an adjacent forest.

Major Shukla said he found the bodies of the four jawans riddled with bullets and there were empty INSAS rifle shells on the ground. He said an INSAS service rifle had been stolen from the unit on April 9 and investigations in that regard were in progress. He said it is suspected that the murder of these four jawans had been done with the same INSAS rifle.

Earlier, in a statement, the HQ South Western Command said, “It has been ascertained that in the unfortunate incident, four Army jawans of an Artillery unit succumbed to gunshot injuries sustained during the incident. No other injuries to personnel or loss/damage to property have been reported.”

“All aspects including the possible case of involvement of an INSAS rifle along with 28 rounds reported missing two days back are being ascertained,” the statement said.

In an update at 6 pm, the Command said, “A search team has located the INSAS rifle along with the magazine. Army and police joint teams will now be undertaking forensic analysis of the weapon….The balance number of rounds in the weapon will only be available after forensic analysis. The joint investigation with Punjab Police is in progress. All possible assistance is being provided. It is reiterated that no individual has been detained/apprehended.” It urged the media to “refrain from speculation” considering “the sensitivities involved”.

Punjab Police officers including ADGP (Bathinda range) S S Parmar, Bathinda SSP Gulneet Khurana ruled out any terror attack angle to the incident and said it appeared to be an “internal” incident of the Army.

“We are in touch with the Army authorities and we will help them in whatever that is required,” Parmar said.

According to the ADGP, the firing took place near the officers’ mess of an Artillery regiment.

SP (Detective) Gandhi told media persons in Bathinda that the four jawans were killed while they were asleep. “19 empty shells of an INSAS rifle have been recovered,” he said.

According to the SP, eyewitnesses said that two persons in civilian dress opened fire. “We are carrying out a joint investigation with the Military Police,” he said.

The Army has deployed hexacopters and drones to try and locate the assailants. A cordon-and-search operation is underway at the military station.

According to military sources, the fact that a rifle with ammunition went missing from the unit indicates a major breach in the protocols for weapons.

It is not easy to take out a weapon from a unit and multiple protocols need to be followed while doing so, the sources said, adding that only forensic investigations will reveal if the INSAS rifle was used in the firing incident.

It was not clear if any soldier in the unit was detected missing when a headcount was taken. Detailed investigations by various agencies are underway, the sources said.