Bangla troops kill 16 BSF men

NEW DELHI, April 18: Sixteen Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were today killed when Bangladeshi troops ope-ned fire and resorted to shelling in the border village of Boraibari in Meghalaya, Home Secretary Kamal Pandey, said, reports PTI. The Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) have been resorting to shelling on BSF posts as well as civilian areas, he told media persons quoting reports reaching here from BSF border camp. An international news agency quoting BDR chief Major General Fazlur Rahman reported from Dhaka earlier that one Bangladesh soldier was also killed and several others injured during the clashes. "One of our soldiers was killed and 16 Indian soldiers were killed, while two of their injured have surrendered," he told AFP. The two injured soldiers who surrendered were being brought by helicopter to Dhaka, Rahman said. According to him one of the 16 Indians was killed by angry villagers when he lost his way before "our soldiers could find him." Meanwhile, reinforcements of BSF personnel were rushed to Dawki sector in Meghalaya Bangladesh border as the stand-off between BSF and Bangladesh Rifles (BDF) turned serious today even as peace talks between the two sides remained inconclusive. "The stand-off continues in Dawki sector and the situation is serious," Director General of BSF Gurbachan Jagat told reporters here. Asserting that there was no provocation from Indian side, Jagat said "they attacked our border post at Pyrduwah village in Meghalaya yesterday." After this attack, reinforcement were rushed to the BDR "which included some elements of Bangladesh Army," the BSF chief said. "We have also rushed in our reinforcement to the area," he said. About the sector level talks between BSF and BDR, Jagat said "the talks have remained inconclusive." To a question about the BSF casualities at the border, Jagat said "though we have seen the media reports, we are still awaiting official reports from the field." Asked what was the usual strength of BSF at a border post, Jagat said "normally a platoon of a strength of 35 to 40 jawans man the post." Meanwhile, official sources said Union Home Minister LK Advani was in constant touch with the Defence Minister Jaswant Singh and Meghalaya Chief Minister EK Mawlong. Home Secretary Kamal Pande also held an inter-ministerial meeting on the matter.