A Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) jawan committed suicide by shooting self with his service rife in the frontier Kashmir district of Kupwara, official sources said here on Monday.

They said panic gripped Vilgam in Handwara late last night, when a gunshot was heard from a security force camp. “The paramilitary troopers in the camp rushed to the area from where the gunshot was heard and found a jawan lying in a pool of blood,” they said.

They said the jawan, identified as Amit Kumar, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, was immediately taken to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

“It was not immediately clear why he took this extreme step,” they said, adding police has registered a case and initiated investigation to ascertain the circumstances which forced him to commit suicide.

After completing all the legal and medical formalities, the body of the deceased would be sent to his native place for last rites.

This is the second incident in which a security force personnel has committed suicide by shooting self with his service rifle in Kupwara during the last 24 hours. An Army soldier committed suicide on Monday in Nowgam sector in Kupwara.