The Indian Army shot dead a man who was reportedly mentally ill in the early hours of Saturday after he crossed the security fence of an Army camp in Puhnoo village in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, Kashmir Life reported.

“At around 3 am an unidentified person crossed the fence of Puhnoo Army camp and came close to the camp wall,” an unidentified police officer said. “Despite repeated warnings from the sentry, the individual did not stop. The sentry of the post fired in the air first but the said person did not stop walking towards the camp. Then the sentry fired at him.”

After the incident, the Army informed the Shopian Police. A police team rushed to the spot and recovered the man’s body. Following a preliminary examination, the police said he may have been suffering from a mental illness.

The police have appealed to the public to help them identify the deceased. However, Kashmir Reader reported that the man has been identified as Rayees Ahmad of Begam village in Kulgam.