Srinagar, March 31 : A constable died on Tuesday after sustaining a firearm injury while on duty in Jammu and Kashmirâ??s Shopian district, said officials.

Officials said a police constable lost his life after sustaining injuries two days ago in an accidental incident.

The constable was a resident of Noorpora village in Shopian district. He was initially referred to SKIMS Soura in Srinagar city from the Armyâ??s Base Hospital in Badami Bagh Cantonment area after being injured in Shopian.

He had sustained a gunshot wound to the right side of his abdomen when a colleague accidentally discharged a firearm during duty.

He was admitted to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) at SKIMS Soura for treatment, but passed away despite the best efforts of the attending doctors.

More details are awaited.

Authorities have initiated an investigation into the incident to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the accidental discharge.

Injuries and deaths due to accidental firing during discharge of duties have occurred in the past as well in Jammu and Kashmir. Authorities have initiated inquiries into such accidents in the past as well, and during training and refresher courses, deployed personnel are trained to exercise utmost caution while handling firearms.

The J&K Police and the security forces are deployed for the maintenance of law and order, anti-terrorist operations against terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs), sympathisers and those involved in drug smuggling and hawala money rackets. It is believed that funds generated by drug smuggling and hawala money rackets are finally used to sustain terrorism in the union territory.

The Army and the Border Security Force (BSF) are deployed on the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border to prevent infiltration, exfiltration, drug smuggling and drone activities initiated by terror outfits from across the border with the help of Pakistanâ??s ISI. These drones are used to drop payloads of arms, ammunition, drugs and cash to sustain terrorism in the union territory. These payloads are picked up by OGWs of terror outfits and then passed on to the terrorists.

/IANS