Bangladeshi smugglers attack BSF party, injure jawan; 1 miscreant killed

A BSF party was attacked by Bangladeshi miscreants near the border area of Raiganj in Darjeeling district of West Bengal during the early hours of Saturday, in which one jawan was severely injured.

The attack was carried out by a group of around 15 to 20 miscreants who had crossed over into the Indian territory and were also joined by some Indians.

This is the second attack on a BSF party by Bangladeshi smugglers within a week.

BSF sources said that the group had entered the Indian territory with the intention of smuggling cattle and contraband.

The BSF party detected the intrusion and asked them to surrender. However, the miscreants attacked the party with sharp-edged weapons and lathis, besides pelting stones at them.

In retaliation, the BSF personnel fired non-lethal ammunition like stun grenade and PAG to disperse the miscreants, but they did not leave the area and continued fighting with the party and tried to snatch their weapons.

As a result, one BSF jawan on duty was badly injured in the attack.

The jawan fired from his INSAS to deter the attackers, who fled from there, taking advantage of darkness.

One unknown person, however, succumbed to his injuries, sustained during the attack.

Two cows along with an iron sword and lathis used in the attack were seized from the spot. A breach of the international boundary fence was also detected by the BSF personnel.

The injured BSF jawan was taken to a hospital after first aid and his condition is reported to be stable.

This is the second such incident of attack on BSF personnel in a week.

On the evening of February 28, a Bangladeshi smuggler had died and a BSF jawan was injured during a clash along the India-Bangladesh border with Tripura.

A BSF spokesman had said that a group of 20 to 25 Bangladeshi smugglers and miscreants had intruded into the Indian territory near the Border Outpost area at Putia in western Tripura’s Sepahijala district and orchestrated the attack.