BSF guns down Pakistani intruder along border in Tarn Taran

The intruder’s body was handed over to the police for identification after Pakistani Rangers refused to claim it

A Pakistani intruder, who was trying to push in a drug consignment into Indian territory, was shot dead by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel near the border at Khalra village on Sunday night.

The intruder was shot dead by BSF personnel near the border at Khalra village in Tarn Taran district on Sunday night. (Sameer Sehgal/HT file)

The incident took place at 9.45pm when the accused was found roaming across the barbed-wire fence and ahead of the zero line, a senior BSF official said, adding that three Pakistani currency notes in the denomination of ₹10 and 20-gm tobacco were recovered from the intruder.

“Our troops noticed the accused intruding into Indian territory, ostensibly on a recce to push in a drug consignment through the barbed-wire fence. When our personnel challenged him to stop, he didn’t pay heed. When he tried to flee towards Pakistan, the troops opened fire and he was killed,” the official said.

“The accused appears to be in his 50s. His identity could not be ascertained. Pakistani Rangers were informed about the body, but they refused to claim it. We have now handed it over to the local police for its identification,” he said.

On April 8, a Pakistani national was arrested with 21kg of heroin near Khemkaran, 15km from Khalra. In another operation in Amritsar’s Kakkar village on the same day, a Pakistani national was shot dead and 22kg of heroin and two AK-47 rifles were recovered.

On February 13, a Pakistani intruder was shot dead by the BSF near Khalra village. During the area’s search, the BSF recovered 14kg of heroin, a pistol, a magazine and six rounds of ammunition.