Srinagar , Jan 18: An army officer allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service weapon in a military camp in north Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara district on Monday. The reason behind the suicide was not known immediately as a police party had rushed to the spot to ascertain the details. Suicides and fratricide incidents were common among security forces personnel deployed in restive Kashmir from the early 1990s till 2010. A research carried by a leading sociologist of the valley in 2012 had revealed that 1500-2000 soldiers committed suicide from 1990-2011. The suicides, the research had revealed, were committed by personnel of the army, paramilitary BSF, CRPF, ITBP and CISF and they belonged to all regions and states of the country. However, in 2006, recognising the rising fratricide and suicide cases among the armed forces, the then defence minister h ad constituted an expert group of psychiatrists under the Defence Institute of Psychological Research in order to suggest remedial measures to prevent suicide and fratricide incidents.
Over the last decade, incidents of fratricide have reportedly reduced in the army as the force has taken measures to address the issue.
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