Assam: Tensions flared along the India-Bangladesh international border in Assam on February 1 after Border Security Force (BSF) personnel opened fire on a group of suspected cattle smugglers in the Kukurmari border area of Mankachar.
According to official sources, BSF jawans spotted a group of smugglers illegally transporting cattle from Kukurmari towards neighboring Bangladesh. Despite repeated warnings and attempts by the BSF personnel to stop them, the smugglers allegedly tried to flee, prompting the jawans to open fire.
One cattle smuggler sustained a gunshot wound to his leg and was seriously injured in the firing. The injured man has been identified as Shahar Ali (26), son of Hikmat Ali, a resident of Kukurmari Part-II village under the Mankachar police station area.
Sources said that the other smugglers involved in the incident managed to escape under the cover of darkness.
The injured smuggler was later taken for medical treatment. Security has been heightened along the border following the incident, and further investigations are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining members of the smuggling gang.
This incident once again highlights the persistent challenge of cattle smuggling across the porous India-Bangladesh border in lower Assam, despite the strict vigilance of security forces.
