The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday lodged a protest with the Pakistan Rangers after three of its troopers were injured in cross border firing in Amritsar sector of Punjab by smugglers from the Pakistani side.The injured troopers were rushed to a hospital in Amritsar and were stated to be stable.
BSF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) R.P.S. Jaswal told IANS that the troopers were injured in an exchange of fire with smugglers from the Pakistan side early on Saturday. The troopers were patrolling the international border on a mini-truck when the smugglers fired at them with AK-47 automatic weapons, he said.He said the firing took place at the Daoke Border out Post (BoP), about 15 km from Attari border check post. BSF officials said the area was being searched following the incident.
The BSF lodged a strong protest with the Pakistan Rangers, Pakistan's border guards, at a commandant-level meeting after the evening retreat ceremony, BSF officials said.The BSF had gunned down two Pakistani smugglers in the same area recently and recovered heroin.The troopers are always on high alert along the sensitive India-Pakistan border in Punjab.The border, which has an electrified fence inside the Indian territory, is used by Pakistani and Indian smugglers for heroin smuggling.The BSF has recovered nearly 125 kg of heroin along the Punjab border with Pakistan this year. Nearly 65 kg was recovered in the Amritsar sector.The BSF had recovered over 361 kg heroin, its highest ever seizure, along the border last year.