NEW DELHI, Nov 2: A curious rise in fratricidal killings of fellow officers and colleagues by Indian soldiers, mostly in Kashmir, in the past 30 days has shaken the top brass with Army Chief Gen J.J. Singh instructing his commanders to probe the incidents and take corrective measures.

“We are concerned over the rising number of such incidents, specially in counter-insurgency areas, and suitable measures are being institutionalised,” Gen Singh told PTI. “I have conveyed my personal instructions to the commanders on the subject and told them to assess each incident.”

The move follows the death of a lieutenant-colonel who was shot dead on Tuesday by a soldier in the Harwan region on the outskirts of Srinagar.

The Asian Age reported on Wednesday that Lt-Col Saket Saxena was killed by sepoy S.C. Behra with his service rifle. “The erring jawan was taken into custody immediately after the shooting and an internal inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the facts about the incident and find out what provoked him to take the life of his officer,” the daily quoted a defence spokesperson as saying in Srinagar.

A top army official said a “pro-active approach has been made to improve officer-men relations in present and emerging environment.” He said that as a first step, remedial measures like counselling was being institutionalised in all training institutions. “Rest and recuperation centres are being set up where troops can go to reduce stress levels,” he said.

Eight soldiers have been killed and about half a dozen wounded in the state in similar acts during October. In at least three cases, the assailants committed, or attempted to commit, suicide immediately after attacking their colleagues in what were being termed as ‘stress-related’ acts, the daily said.

It quoted officials as saying that a large number of soldiers and other security personnel working in hostile and extremely difficult conditions in the conflict zone were suffering from psychological disorders.