Questions Raised Over Army Base Security In Punjab After Firing Incident

Bathinda army base firing incident: An audit raised questions about the security at the military station after a first information report (FIR) filed by a Major mentioned about two unknown masked men

The army has conducted a security audit of its base in Punjab's Bathinda after four soldiers were killed in a firing incident on Wednesday morning, people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

After the audit, General Manoj Pande briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the matter, sources said.

The audit raised questions about the security at the military station after a first information report (FIR) filed by a Major mentioned about two unknown masked men, one of them holding an INSAS assault rifle, fleeing towards a jungle near the base.

"If outsiders are involved, then how did they manage to enter the base, breaching its security? There is regular patrolling and even quick reaction teams are stationed at strategic locations throughout the cantonment," a senior government officer who is involved in looking into the incident told NDTV, asking not to be named.