2 jawans dead after army contingents mistakenly fire at each other

Two army troopers were killed and another wounded in a mistaken identity shootout in south Kashmir Tral in Pulwama district late Tuesday evening.

A firing incident took place in Noorpora area of Tral, 35 kms from Pulwama, at around 9.00 pm when a unit of 42 Rashtriya Rifles of the army was on patrol duty, a police officer said.

A senior army officer in Tral said that two patrolling parties of the counter insurgency Rashtriya Rifles exchanged gunfire in an incident of mistaken identity near Noorpora Tral.

“Three troopers were critically injured in the shootout. They were evacuated to hospital for treatment where two succumbed,” the officer said.

Senior army and police officers rushed to the spot immediately.

The officer said an investigation is on to find the facts that led to this unfortunate incident.