IAF employee commits suicide in Kashmir

An employee of the Indian Air Force committed suicide in the IAF main base in Kashmir early on Thursday.

Krishan Kumar was found dead by IAF officers in his room in the Indian Air Force base at Quil Awantipore, 45 km from Srinagar, on Thursday morning.

Kumar, a radar fitter in the IAF, hails from Kerala.

"The body has been sent for postmortem, and we are looking into the matter," a police officer said.

Scores of army and paramilitary soldiers have committed suicide in the past 10 years, forcing authorities to take immediate steps to reduce stress levels among the security forces involved in counter-insurgency in Kashmir.

Counsellors and trained psychiatrists have been employed to help soldiers cope with the levels of stress while serving in highly sensitive areas.