Kolkata: The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) traded fire for five hours at Piyasbari in Malda district of West Bengal from 3:30 am (IST) on February 27 after smugglers with camels fled into Bangladesh from Indian territory, a top police official said.

There was no casualty on the Indian side.

"BDR fired about 500 rounds, but none of our men were injured. We retaliated. But it is not known if any of the BDR were injured or killed," BSF sources said.

Narrating the sequence of events, the sources said that a BSF patrol stumbled on the camel smugglers and challenged them.

The smugglers then ran into Bangladesh as the BDR provided covering fire, the sources said.

Two of the camels were hit by bullets in the exchange of fire, the sources said.

Inspector general of police (North Bengal) Bhupinder Singh said in Siliguri that a deputy commandant level flag meeting was later held between the BSF and the BDR where it was decided that the camels would be returned by the Bangladesh side.

PTI