A senior army officer was killed in a shootout in which one soldier also died lat last night at the heavily guarded army camp in Barramulla, northern Kashmir, 55 kilometres from Srinagar.

The police said an irate army soldier, Kunwar Bahadur Thapa, gunned down Lieutenant Colonel Ranjit Ghosh during an altercation late in the night. Sources said the army soldier, who also died in the shootout, opened fire on Lt Col Ghosh from a close range.

The army officer died on the spot.

However, defence sources in Srinagar claimed that Ghosh died when a sentry mistook him for a militant. The sources said that the lieutenant colonel was checking the guard posts late at night when the sentry opened fire.

There have been instances earlier when irate troopers have killed their officers and colleagues in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in a fit of frenzy on either being refused leave or due the pressure on them because of continuous duties in hostile circumstances.

Authorities have taken steps to ensure that such incidents don't occur. Counselling and increased recreational facilities with adequate leave are some of the measures being taken to help the soldiers cope with the high pressure of working in Jammu and Kashmir, say security force officers.

More reports from Jammu and Kashmir