Taipei: A serviceman is currently undergoing emergency surgery following a rifle shooting accident during a training session earlier Monday, Taiwan’s military said. The conscript, surnamed Shao, is serving compulsory military service in the Taichung-based 234 Mechanized Infantry Brigade. He sustained injuries to the left side of his face during a rifle shooting exercise Monday afternoon and was promptly taken to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery, the 10th Army Corps said in a statement.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Army immediately informed Shao’s family of his condition, and senior military officers visited the hospital to assist them in coping with the aftermath of the incident, the press statement said. It added that an ad hoc investigative committee has been established to thoroughly probe what caused the accident and ensure there is no recurrence.

The military branch did not provide any further details on Shao’s condition. Local media reports indicate that the 18-year-old sustained serious injuries to the left side of his face when a rifle barrel exploded during a shooting exercise at Taichung’s Chenggongling military training camp.