India: 4 Soldiers Killed in Punjab Army Base Shooting

Facts

• Four Indian army soldiers were killed in a shooting while sleeping in a barracks inside the Bathinda military station in Punjab early Wednesday morning.¹
• Punjab police ruled out the incident as a terror attack, instead calling it a case of 'fratricide' — [in a military context, an armed services member killing a member of the same side.] While the military base has been cordoned off and sealed, an investigation is underway to establish what happened.²
• On Monday, an assault rifle with 28 bullets reportedly went missing. Of the 28 missing bullets, 19 have been recovered from the barracks — suggesting an army soldier possibly opened fire at fellow soldiers.³
• Initial reports claim two unidentified masked men in plain clothes carrying an assault rifle and an axe, respectively, were involved in the massacre and are missing.⁴
• According to government data, 18 incidents of fratricide were reported in the Indian Army and two in the Indian Air Force between 2014 and 2021.⁵
• The Bathinda military station is located about 280 km (174 mi) north of the national capital, New Delhi. The shooting occurred as the state was on high alert a day before Baisakhi, an annual Sikh festival.⁶

Sources: ¹Independent, ²The hindu, ³Hindustan times, ⁴Ndtv.com, ⁵Msn and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Theprint. The Bathinda killings have once again raised the question of why fratricide incidents occur in the Indian armed forces so often. Because guarding the border comes at a high human cost, there is an urgent need to professionally analyze the issue and adopt measures to positively address soldiers' high-stress levels. This is of concern to defense forces but has implications for India's national security in general.
• Narrative B, as provided by Forumias blog. While the number of fratricides within the Indian armed forces is concerning, it's disingenuous to claim that nothing is being done. The government has fully recognized the issue and has implemented a multi-pronged strategy to address it, which includes not only improving the conditions of personnel but also introducing mental health initiatives. While fratricide cannot be eradicated overnight, the rate at which it occurs has already declined in recent years.