By Zahid Rafiq
SRINAGAR, Jammu Kashmir (AA) – An Indian army officer was shot dead overnight by one of his own troops, the military said Tuesday.
The army confirmed the officer’s killing by a fellow soldier in the Uri region, which lies close to the Line of Control between Indian- and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
An investigation into the incident, which happened at around 12.15 a.m. (1845GMT Monday), has been launched.
An army officer said Maj. Shikhar Thapa was shot as he attempted to confiscate a mobile phone from the soldier for using it in a restricted area.
“The mobile phone broke in the scuffle and the soldier later shot the officer several times with his service weapon,” the officer said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
Indian newspapers identified the unit involved as the 8 Rashtriya Rifles, an elite counter-insurgency unit, and said Thapa was shot twice in the back with an AK-47 assault rifle.
Control of Muslim-majority Kashmir is split between India and Pakistan. The countries have fought two wars over the region since partition in 1947.
Resistance groups in Jammu Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule and more than 70,000 people have been reportedly killed since 1989. India maintains more than 500,000 troops in the region.
