A shocking incident unfolded at the heart of Kaziranga National Park in Assam as forest department officials intercepted poachers, resulting in gunfire that left one forest officer injured on Friday.
The episode occurred within the expanse of the national park, near the Goroimari forest camp coming under the Kohora forest range, where forest department officials had received intelligence regarding the presence of poachers.
Upon receiving the tip-off early in the morning, a team from the forest department swiftly launched an operation to apprehend the intruders.
In an attempt to thwart the poachers and nab them, the forest officials approached, leading to a confrontation between the two groups.
A gunbattle ensued during the confrontation when one of the poachers injured a forest official in the process. In a bid to rescue the injured official, retaliatory shots were fired by an elephant mahout at the poachers, injuring one of them.
The injured poacher was identified as Mun Ali and was subsequently nabbed, as the other criminal managed to evade capture, fleeing the scene amidst the chaos.
Officials recovered Pipli Seng fish from the poachers, a highly endangered fish species which has been classified as a Schedule I species under the Amendment of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972.
Efforts are underway to track down the other poacher, with authorities intensifying their search to bring the culprits to justice.
Meanwhile, the injured forest official was promptly evacuated from the site and is currently receiving medical attention for his wounds.
