Srinagar: In a distressing incident, a member of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) took his own life in the Kupwara district of the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident occurred at the Police Lines in the Handwara area, where the soldier from the E-127 battalion used his service rifle to commit suicide. The identity of the soldier has been withheld by the authorities.

“His colleagues discovered him critically injured and swiftly transported him to the District Hospital in Handwara, where he was pronounced dead despite attempts to save him,” officials stated. They further noted that the soldier’s body would be returned to his family following the completion of post-mortem procedures.

The specific motives behind the soldier’s suicide remain unclear, but there is ongoing concern about the psychological pressures faced by personnel stationed in such conflict zones. This suicide adds to a troubling statistic that includes over 600 similar incidents among Indian forces in the region since January 2007, highlighting the mental health crises affecting soldiers in high-stress environments.