Soldier killed in accidental fire in J&K's Poonch

Jammu, Nov 3 (IANS) A soldier was killed in J&K’s Poonch district on Monday when his service rifle reportedly went off accidentally, officials said.

Officials said that Naik Amarjeet Singh was on sentry duty in his camp in Jhulass village of Poonch district when his service rifle went off accidentally.

"He was immediately shifted to the army’s field hospital for treatment, but he succumbed to his critical injury. Police have taken cognisance of the incident and an investigation has been started," an official said.

The army guards the 740-km-long line of control (LoC) in J&K, which is situated in Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts of the Valley and in Poonch, Rajouri and partly in Jammu district of Jammu division.

The Border Security Force (BSF) guards the 240-km-long international border situated in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.

The army is deployed on anti-infiltration and anti-terrorist activities along the LoC, while the BSF performs these duties along the international border.

J&K Police and the security forces carry out anti-terrorist activities in the hinterland, including terror acts by gun-wielding terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers.

Drug smugglers, drug peddlers and those involved in hawala money and other financial scams are also on the scanner of the security forces.

It is believed that funds generated by drug smuggling, hawala money rackets and other unlawful financial activities are finally used to sustain terrorism in J&K.

The revised strategy of the security forces is aimed at dismantling the complete terror ecosystem in J&K rather than just going after the gun-wielding terrorists.

J&K Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha, has so far terminated the services of many government employees found to have terror links.

--IANS

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