The author personally was involved in this conflict. This piece is not saying one side is right or wrong, but what is he implying to the audience?

The story makes clear that this civil war has driven enormous rifts into Irish society. After the sniper has killed his enemy, he grows curious about the other man's identity. "He wondered did he know him," and he even speculates, "Perhaps he had been in his own company before the split in the army." With the final sentence, however, the civil war's power to divide takes on even greater significance: "Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother's face." This sentence tells the reader that members of the same family could become enemies because of civil war. It also underscores the long-lasting repercussions of warfare that breaks up a society.