The ongoing spate of seemingly tit-for-tat violence — deadly at times — involving members of the nation’s security forces is increasingly difficult to understand.

The confrontations between members of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) and the various police branches are starting to add up, and so does the number of victims. And with every new incident — the latest revolves around the stabbing death of a police officer by a soldier in North Sumatra — the public bewilderment also increases.

Of course every time there is a flare-up of violence, there is a new photo-op for top TNI officers and their police counterparts shaking hands and sharing a smile, or for their subordinates happily working together. But we are talking about grown men and women carefully selected, trained and paid to protect this country and its residents from internal and external threats. Why are they killing each other in the first place?

Surely police and military personnel are proud of their uniforms and the institutions they represent. But they need to realize that their primary loyalty must lie with the Indonesian people and state.

Whether it is mainly about pride and machismo or a turf war that got out of hand is no longer the key concern. This is a national embarrassment and it is eroding the people’s faith in those entrusted with our security. When a dispute reaches the institutional level, when the color of your uniform becomes a matter of life and death, it is time for the country’s top executive to put an end to it.

President Joko Widodo has instructed a full investigation into a deadly clash in Batam earlier this week between police personnel and soldiers, and called on both sides to make amends and punish those involved. But it is too late for that. To find a way out, some stronger steps are needed.