Indian soldier allegedly kills himself along LoC

The 33-year-old soldier from Karnataka is believed to have shot himself with his own service rifle

An Indian soldier allegedly shot himself with his own service rifle along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of the Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK), Hindustan Times reported on Wednesday.

The incident took place in Laam sector on Tuesday evening. The 33-year-old Indian soldier belonged to Karnataka – a state in south-west India.



A case has been registered and Indian police are investigating the circumstances of the death of the soldier. Indian army has also ordered an inquiry into the case. The reason why the soldier took the extreme step remains unknown.

A rising number of suicide cases among the ranks of Indian soldiers have been a disturbing matter for the Indian government and army.

According to a recent Times of India (TOI) report, around 100 Indian soldiers take their lives every year despite successive governments' assurances that measures have been taken to reduce their stress levels. As many as 125 Indian soldiers killed themselves in 2016 only, it revealed.



Prolonged deployment for counter-insurgency operations in the disputed valley of Kashmir and north-east region takes a toll on the physical strength and mental health of the Indian soldiers.

Poor salaries, lack of basic facilities, rejection of leaves and incompetent leadership remains the other factors for their suicides, the TOI reported.