A junior Commissioned Officer of the army has been killed in a firing incident inside an army camp in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir. An investigation has been launched to ascertain the nature of the firing incident, which occurred on Tuesday night, official sources said.

The officer has been identified as Surjeet Singh, a resident of Reasi district.

“The Indian Army stands firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of grief and assures unwavering support,” the Army posted on X (formerly Twitter).

While any terrorist link to the firing incident has been ruled out, a possible fratricide is being actively investigated, sources said.

Gunshots were reportedly heard at Bari Brahmana camp and a junior Commissioned Officer on duty was found critically injured. He was rushed to a nearby medical facility where doctors declared him dead on arrival, sources said.

One jawan, who is missing, is being investigated as a suspect, the sources said. Some reports suggest that after the incident, the jawan posted in the same camp has decamped with some arms and ammunition and a manhunt has been launched to nab him.

Police sources say a First Information Report (FIR) was registered and investigations have been launched. The soldier, a prime suspect in the shooting and who is now on the run, is a resident of Jammu.