Several Swiss soldiers were ordered by their commanding officer to throw stones at a young recruit in a military training school. The army has launched an investigation after a video of the incident went viral.

The video, released earlier by the public broadcaster RSI, shows several men in army fatigues lined up near a single soldier with his back facing them. The commanding officer can be heard saying “Ready!” and then “Fire!” as the men simultaneously throw what appear to be stones at the recruit. Some of the participants can also be heard laughing during the process.

The scene was reportedly filmed last September in Emmen, located in the German-speaking canton of Lucerne, but only came to light recently. All of the soldiers in the video are believed to be part of an anti-aircraft training unit.

The military is “troubled” by the stone-throwing incident, and such activities are “unacceptable,” the army’s spokesperson Daniel Reist said on Thursday.

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The victim has been interviewed by the authorities. He is reported to be a young recruit from the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino. His father told local media that his son was hazed by his German-speaking superiors and fellow soldiers.

The army has launched a preliminary investigation into the incident, with results expected in the coming weeks.

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