Three rhino poachers were gunned down in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam by the security forces in an encounter last night, a senior Forest Department official said today.
Acting on a tip off about a five-member poacher gang from Karbi Anglong district entering the Burapahar Range of the Park, the authorities kept Park security forces, the Police and the CRPF on high alert, KNP Conservator Mahendra Duwara said.
Late at night the poachers opened fire seeing the security personnel, who then retaliated. The exchange of fire continued for over three hours near the Kanchanjuri camp area under Burapahar Range, Duwara said.
Three poachers were killed in firing while two others fled under the cover of darkness, he said.
A search operation has been launched to track the fleeing poachers suspected to be inside the Range area and all exit and entry points have been cordoned off from Jakhalabandha to Burapahar, the official said.
Three .303 rifles, live cartridges, four mobile phone sets and food items were recovered from the dead poachers whose bodies were sent to Nagoan Bhogaswari Phukononi Civil Hospital for post mortem, but were yet to be identified.
Kanchanjuri area is the most highly rhino concentrated belt of the four KNP ranges - Burapahar, Bagori, Kohora and Agarotoli, the Conservator said.
In the past eight months, KNP security forces have killed 31 poachers against nine rhinos killed by poachers this year, Duwara said.
During the period, 37 persons related to rhino poaching were arrested from Karbi Anglong, Nagoan, Sonitpur, Lakhimpur and Golaghat districts like Diphu, he added.
