Jawan kills four BSF personnel

Amritsar: A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan allegedly opened fire at a force camp here on Sunday, leaving four of his colleagues dead and another injured. The accused constable, Sateppa S K, was also killed in the fratricidal incident that took place between 9:30 and 9:45 am at the camp of the 144th battalion in the Khasa area of the district, about 12-13 km short of the Attari-Wagah border crossing along the India-Pakistan international front, an officer said. However, it was not immediately clear if the accused jawan shot himself or was fired upon by others.

"It could be a ricochet that killed the accused. It is unclear as of now," a senior officer said. Officials said the accused was apparently upset about his duty hours and even fired shots at the vehicle of the second-in-command-rank officer parked in the campus.

Asif Jalal, who last week took over as the BSF Inspector General for Punjab, spoke to reporters and denied there was any enmity (between the accused and the victims) or a duty-related issue.

The IG said the police and his force were investigating the incident.

A BSF spokesperson said that in an unfortunate incident, five BSF troops were killed at a force camp in Amritsar in a fratricidal incident. The sixth jawan is in a critical condition and is admitted to a hospital. The victims include personnel in the ranks of constable and head constable.

The spokesperson said a court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the facts. Senior officers of the border force and the Punjab Police reached the spot soon after the incident, the officials said.