The army reported that a “firing incident” at a military facility in Punjab, a state on the Indian border, resulted in the deaths of four soldiers. It added that a search effort was ongoing.
Reuters news agency was informed on Wednesday by a defense source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation that there were still unidentified gunmen at the base in Bathinda city. An army statement reported that four military personnel were killed by bullet wounds they received during the early-morning shootings on Wednesday. The incident’s circumstances or any other information regarding the perpetrators were not mentioned in the statement.
S P S Parmar, a top police official in Punjab, told Reuters that the incident “was not a terror attack” and that it happened at a canteen. According to a statement from the army, the military base has been shut down, and a joint investigation with the local police is proceeding. The army statement also highlighted that there had been no additional reports of casualties or property damage.
In a statement, the army said that “all aspects, including the potential case of involvement of a (assault) rifle along with 28 rounds reported missing two days ago” were being investigated. Barricades were set up on the road outside the military station’s gates, and security men were stationed outside the boundary wall, according to images from Reuters partner news agency ANI.
According to the statement, the shootings started at 4:35 am (23:05 GMT). The military station, which is around 280 kilometers (175 miles) north of the capital New Delhi, is a residential army facility that mostly houses soldier families. State police personnel were cited in Indian media sources as claiming that the incident at the army installation bordering Pakistan did not seem to be a “terror” attack. The shooting occurred the day before Baisakhi, a significant Sikh and Hindu festival that ushers in the harvest season, and occurred as the state was on high security alert.
Since the start of the police’ pursuit for controversial Sikh separatist preacher Amritpal Singh last month, Punjab has also been on edge. Singh has gained a sizable following in recent months by arguing for the establishment of Khalistan, an independent Sikh nation whose campaign resulted in fatal conflict in Punjab in the 1980s and 1990s. Thousands of police officers were involved in a massive dragnet, and the state’s internet was shut down for several days, yet he is still at large.
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