At least two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel sustained injuries, while no casualties were reported as miscreants pelted stones and empty liquor bottles at the security forces leading to retaliatory firing on Sunday night in Meghalaya.

According to a release by the Meghalaya Frontier BSF, troopers of 4th Battalion of the BSF deployed at Standing Patrol Base at Old Umsyiem observed movement of miscreants on the Dawki-Pynursla road near the international border on Sunday night.

A BSF party rushed to the spot, however, on seeing the approaching, the miscreants threw away their head loads and fled the scene. The BSF team searched the area and found bundles of sarees estimated to be worth around Rs 50,000. The BSF had also foiled another such smuggling attempt by seizing clothing items worth Rs 2,21,000 from the same area earlier in the day.

The release further informed that after a while some miscreants gathered and entered into the BSF post and started pelting stones and empty beer bottles at the BSF troopers stationed there. The post commander also tried to pacify the situation but the agitated miscreants did not stop.

Hence, after sensing a danger to life and property, the BSF personnel resorted to retaliatory firing of four rounds in the air. While two BSF troopers were injured, no civilian was killed in the incident.

The SHO of Pynursla Police Station was also informed and a police team reached the spot to bring the situation under control.

Meanwhile, the PRO of BSF Meghalaya also said that a similar incident had taken place on June 5 in the same area where BSF had seized clothing items worth more that Rs 1 lakh. Miscreants had pelted stones on BSF troopers then as well in which one personnel had sustained head injuries.

It may be noted that the Umsiem area is frequently exploited by smugglers to smuggle cattle heads, clothing items, cosmetics and other contraband items to Bangladesh and many smuggling syndicates are active in the region.