Indian trooper kills self in Indian-controlled Kashmir

An Indian army trooper Thursday committed suicide in Indian- controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The trooper shot himself dead using his service rifle inside a camp stationed at Dhanni Dhar in frontier Rajouri district, about 178 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian- controlled Kashmir.

"An army trooper committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle at a camp in Rajouri," a police said.

The trooper had reportedly died on spot. The reason behind the suicide according to officials was not known.

The military spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said they have ordered an inquiry into the case.

"A trooper Satish Chander deployed in Rajouri was found dead early this morning," Mehta said. "The trooper was from Uttrakhand state and was unmarried."

On Sunday a trooper killed two of his colleagues before shooting himself dead with his service rifle inside a post in nearby Poonch district.

Last week also a trooper committed suicide in a similar way in the restive region.

Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir, battling armed insurgency, are reported to be under a lot of stress and strain.

Last year, eight cases of suicide were recorded among Indian troops and police.

Health experts say continued separation from family, long duty hours, lack of recreational facilities, poor command and control structure were usually found to be behind such incidents.

A guerrilla war is also going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in the restive region since 1989. The gun fighting between militants and Indian troops in Indian-controlled Kashmir takes place intermittently.