The BSF soldier was attacked with two country-made bombs and pellets. (File)
A Border Security Force (BSF) soldier lost his hand and suffered serious injuries in a bomb attack by Bangladeshi cattle smugglers along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal today, the force said.
Constable Anisur Rehman also suffered pellet injuries to his lungs, liver and stomach from the impact of at least two country-made bombs thrown at him near the Angrail border post in Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.
The soldier was attacked by a group of about 25 smugglers who entered the Indian side with the help of locals, the BSF said. They were armed with bombs, dahs (cleaver-shaped weapon), axes and bamboo sticks among others, it said.
They surrounded the soldier and threw two country-made bombs on him. He was rushed to a hospital where his right hand was amputated.
"The jawan fired a round from his pump action gun before he fell unconscious. Reinforcement troops controlled the situation. The smugglers escaped to the other side as it was pitch dark and the area has heavy vegetation," a senior official said.
The BSF has directed all its formations in the south Bengal frontier area to adopt an aggressive posture against trans-border criminals. It has issued an alert along the India-Bangladesh border in the south Bengal area.