Border Security Force (BSF) personnel patrol near the international border, in Samba district. Representative image.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Agartala: A Bangladeshi smuggler was killed in BSF firing in Tripura's Sepahijala district on Sunday, an official said.
Border Security Force personnel, while dominating the area of Kalamchoura, observed several people, armed with sharp-edged weapons, on either side of the fence, 'trying to smuggle goods across the international boundary', he said.
"When challenged to stop, they didn't pay heed and got aggressive. They tried to encircle the BSF jawans on duty."
"Sensing imminent danger to life, a BSF jawan fired a shot from a non-lethal rifle in self-defence. But the smugglers became more aggressive and a scuffle broke out between two sides. As the situation was going out of control, a jawan fired at them. One Bangladeshi smuggler was killed," a BSF official said.
Subsequently, a search operation was launched in the area.
A huge quantity of sugar and wooden planks were recovered from there, he said.
It was learnt that the deceased was a resident of Mirpur in Bangladesh, the BSF official said.
A BSF jawan was attacked by smugglers from the neighbouring country in Kalamchoura on June 2 and they tried to drag him inside the Bangladesh side, he added.