Bangladeshi smugglers abduct two Indian border guards

Agartala: Two Indian border guards were kidnapped by Bangladeshi smugglers on Tuesday along the Tripura border, police said.

"During a routine patrolling on Tuesday morning, two Border Security Force (BSF) jawans challenged and chased some Bangladeshi smugglers. The BSF personnel fired several rounds in the air but the smugglers, accompanied by villagers, overpowered the two BSF men and took them inside Bangladesh territory," a Tripura police official said.

The incident took place at Balerdhepa in Sepahijala district, around 80 km southwest from Agartala and opposite Comilla town of Bangladesh.

According to unofficial sources, BSF troopers Mukesh Kumar, 34, and Mir Islam, 37, have been admitted to the army hospital in Comilla as they were injured by their kidnappers.

BSF officials have approached their counterparts in the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to secure the return of the abducted troopers at the earliest.

A flag meeting between the BSF and BGB officials was expected to be held later on Tuesday or Wednesday to ensure the release of the Indian troopers.

The northeastern state of Tripura shares an 856-km border with Bangladesh and some portion of the border still remains unfenced.