Assam Rifles soldier kills himself after firing on six colleagues in Manipur

The incident is not related to the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state, authorities claim

An Assam Rifles soldier opened fire on six of his colleagues before shooting himself dead in Manipur, according to Indian news broadcaster NDTV.

Authorities claimed the incident that occurred among an Assam Rifles battalion deployed near the Myanmar border in south Manipur on Tuesday was not related to the ongoing ethnic conflict.

Manipur is a remotest area of the country that was once a hotbed of insurgency. Assam Rifles - a paramilitary force - guards the borders. It is currently embroiled in an ethnic conflict.

None of the six injured soldiers are natives of Manipur, NDTV said, citing a police statement.

"One Assam Rifles jawan opened fire on his colleagues injuring six of them, later the individual shot himself. All injured have been evacuated to Military Hospital for further treatment and reported to be stable," said Manipur Police.

The non-commissioned officer (NCO), who died of self-inflicted bullet injuries, had recently returned from vacation. During the night, he suddenly loaded his gun and opened fire at his colleagues before shooting himself.

The shooting incident is not related to the ongoing ethnic conflict in the state, the police said.