Two Bangladeshis were killed in the operation, police said. (Representational)
Two Bangladeshis were killed on Friday when the BSF opened fire along the International Border in West Bengal's Coochbehar to thwart a cattle smuggling bid, a force spokesperson said.
A jawan of the border force was also injured and has been evacuated to a nearby hospital.
The spokesperson said the incident took place around 3 am when "miscreants from Bangladesh side ventured into the Indian territory and tried to smuggle cattle heads by establishing improvised bamboo cantilever."
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops ahead of the India-Bangladesh border fence asked them to go back but they did not pay heed, he said.
"BSF troops utilised non-lethal munition to deter the miscreants, but they attacked on the troops with iron dah and sticks. Sensing imminent threat to the life, BSF party fired in air towards miscreants," the spokesperson said.
"Later on during search, bodies of two unknown miscreants were found between the border fence and international boundary," the spokesperson said.