Two Bangladeshis were killed on Friday when the Border Security Force (BSF) opened fire along the International Border in West Bengal’s Coochbehar to thwart a cattle smuggling bid, a spokesperson said.

A jawan of the border force was also injured and was admitted to a nearby hospital, news agency PTI reported.

According to information, the incident took place around 3 am on Friday when some “miscreants” from Bangladesh ventured into Indian territory and tried to smuggle cattle by “establishing an improvised bamboo cantilever”.

The BSF troops ahead of the India-Bangladesh border fence asked them to go back but they did not pay heed, the official said.

“BSF troops utilised non-lethal munition to deter the miscreants, but they attacked the troops with iron dah and sticks. Sensing an imminent threat to their lives, the BSF party fired in the air towards miscreants,” the spokesperson said.

Later, when the searches were being conducted in the area, bodies of two “unknown miscreants” were found between the border fence and the International Border.