Bangladesh Rifles personnel, accompanied by Bangladeshi villagers, barged into an Indian village in South Dinajpur district of West Bengal, looted a house and fired two rounds in the air, BSF sources said on Saturday.

Two BDR men entered Bhimpur, 75 metres from the Indo-Bangla border at 1 pm on Friday and raided the house of a villager Samsul Islam Mandal, which stands at an isolated spot, they said.

• India, Bangladesh exchange fire

The BDR personnel claimed that Mandal's sister had crossed over to India from Bangladesh recently and they had come looking for her, the sources said.

A scuffle ensued in which Mandal, his brother and sister managed to snatch away a rifle from the BDR.

Mandal later told the BSF that his sister was an Indian citizen and there was no question of her having crossed over from Bangladesh.

The BDR personnel went back to their camp but returned with 10 colleagues and Bangladeshi villagers.

• India, Bangladesh begin joint border patrol

The BDR fired two rounds in the air, forcibly entered Mandal's house and took away the snatched rifle before returning to Bangladesh, the sources said.

Before leaving they also took away a motorcycle, a mobile phone, cash and valuables from Mandal's house.

BSF jawans, posted at the Bhaigarh border outpost, one km from Bhimpur rushed to the village after hearing the gunshots but BDR and the villagers had left by then, the sources said.

A torn BDR uniform, two cartridges and part of a rifle were seized by the BSF.

Higher authorities were informed of the border violation.

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