A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Army, who was killed in a firing incident inside a military camp in Samba district, was cremated with full military honours at his native village in Reasi district on Thursday, officials said.

The JCO, Subedar Surjeet Singh, was killed in what the Army termed a firing incident at a camp in Samba. There are reports suggesting that the killing may have occurred due to a fratricide incident, but the Army has yet to issue an official statement in this regard.

A pall of gloom descended on Sarla village as the mortal remains of the JCO were brought to his home, where senior Army, police, and civil officers laid wreaths on his coffin, officials said. Thousands of people from various parts of the district thronged the village, joined the funeral procession, and raised slogans in praise of the officer, the Army, and the country.

Amid slogans of “Shaheed amar rahe” (long live the martyr) rent the air, hundreds of people, including family members and relatives, paid their last respects to Singh with tearful eyes.

He was later cremated with full military honours after a gun salute and the sounding of the Last Post.

he Rising Star Corps paid tribute to the braveheart Subedar Surjeet Singh. In an earlier post on X, the Corps stated, “The Army stands firmly with the bereaved family in this hour of grief and assures unwavering support.”

On Wednesday, Defence spokesperson Suneel Bartwal said the incident was under investigation and that further details would be shared as facts are established. “A JCO of an Army unit in Samba sustained a gunshot wound while on duty and unfortunately succumbed to his injuries in the line of duty. At this stage, the terror angle has been ruled out. The incident is under investigation,” he said.