Army investigating conscript's unauthorized firing of rifle

Taoyuan, Nov. 5 (CNA) The 6th Army Command said Tuesday it was investigating an incident involving a conscript firing a blank he allegedly found at a shooting range where a drill was underway.

The conscript, surnamed Lee (李), with the Army 109th Brigade, fired the shot at a bathroom during a shooting exercise at the range, the command said, but nobody was injured, according to the initial findings of the investigation.

The gunshot, however, alarmed military officers at the range who rushed to the scene.

The command is stationed in Taoyuan's Yangmei District, while the range is in Hsinchu County's Hukou Township, a military source said.

Another of the probe's early findings was that Lee did not return the blank that he found, contravening protocols, according to the source.

The military task force investigating the incident will discipline any negligent officers and will follow legal procedures if they are found to have violated the law.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) on Tuesday rejected media reports that alleged Lee had stolen the rifle he used to fire the blank.

Lee did not violate any protocols for carrying a rifle while an evaluation of soldiers' shooting skills was ongoing, Koo said, adding that allowing soldiers to keep their weapons close by can help them better adapt to battlefields.

The Ministry of National Defense will redouble efforts to strengthen risk management regarding shooting drills, including educating soldiers on relevant safety measures, protocols and disciplinary measures, Koo said.