Foresters kill two poachers

JORHAT: Forest staff at Kaziranga National Park on Saturday averted a rhino poaching bid inside the park when they shot dead two armed poachers in the Burapahar forest range. They seized a .303 rifle and ammunition from the slain poachers.

The incident took place near the Rangoli anti-poaching camp in the park's Burapahar forest range at 1.30 am on Saturday. Acting on a tip off, a group of forest staff launched an operation inside the forest range since Friday afternoon. They had carried out operations in all probable locations in search of the poachers.

Two armed poachers came face to face with the forest staff and they first opened fire at the foresters. Forest guards also retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted for about half-an-hour. Later, two bodies with severe bullet injuries were found on the spot.

"Our staff found two bodies after the gunfight. However, they have not been identified yet," said divisional forest officer (Kaziranga) S K Seal Sharma. He added that the duo entered the park to kill a rhino but failed due to strong intelligence and security arrangements.

The operation was launched after poachers killed a rhino on Friday morning and took away its horn. The incident took place in the Nahor Kathoni area of the Kohora forest range. The number of rhinos killed by poachers in the park has touched 21 this year.