Saturday, April 15 2006 13:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Siliguri (WB): One person was killed as BSF and its Bangladeshi counterpart BDR exchanged heavy fire from midnight till early this morning at Phansidewa in West Bengal's Darjeeling district, official sources said.

Deputy Inspector General, Siliguri subdivision of North Bengal Frontier of BSF, S S Sandhu, the nationality of the person killed has not yet been ascertained.

The trouble started when two Bangladeshi nationals made an attempt to cross over to Indian territory and BSF jawans on duty intercepted them. At this, the tresspassers attacked the BSF jawans by pelting stones. Soon BDR personnel from across the border fired following retaliatory fire from BSF.

Sandhu said that the exchange started at 12.15 last night and continued till 5.30 this morning. Tension prevailed in the area.

Earlier, on April 13 the Bangladesh Rifles had opened fire in the same place after the BSF objected to Bangladeshi villagers from collecting boulders from the Mahanada River on this side.

The BSF had fired a total 27 rounds against 300 rounds by the BDR during the hour-long exchange.

The previous night also the BSF and BDR traded fire at Kalsigram village in Mekhliganj area of CoochBehar district for two and a half hours after the BSF began setting up a temporary border outpost there.