Guwahati, Oct 16 (IANS) Alert security forces in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) on Thursday foiled a rhino poaching attempt and arrested three poachers, officials said.

KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh said that in a joint operation conducted by Biswanath Police along with Majuli Police and Lakhimpur Police, led by Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) (Crime), Biswanath and Additional Superintendent of Police (HQ), successfully foiled a rhino poaching attempt.

The security personnel arrested three suspected armed poachers, and they are identified as Muhikanta Pegu (4), Manuj Pathari (38), and Kiran Pegu (41).

Ghosh said that based on the leading information from the arrested accused, one .303 rifle and nine numbers of 70 mm 12-bore cartridges were recovered from the house of Debajit Pegu at New Dandi village in Biswanath district. Debajit Pegu is now absconding.

A case has been registered and is being investigated under the supervision of ASP (Crime), Biswanath.

Meanwhile, on October 15, a suspected poacher was shot dead during a gunfight with forest guards in KNPTR, India’s seventh UNESCO World Heritage Site.

According to the officials of the National Park, based on intelligence inputs about the movement of armed poachers inside the park, all anti-poaching camps were alerted to undertake searches and seal possible exit and entry routes.

A river patrol team of Burapahar Range spotted a lighting source from an unknown object in Maite Tapu and noticed the movement of a group of armed poachers.

When they were asked to stop, the armed poachers turned aggressive and opened fire at the forest guard team, who also immediately retaliated with restricted fire in self-defence.

Additional forest personnel were rushed to the area, and during an intensive search of the forest area, the body of the slain poacher was recovered. Intensive search and combing operations are now ongoing to nab the accomplices who managed to escape from the spot.

The body of the poacher was yet to be identified. KNPTR officials said that forest guards recovered a .303 rifle and a handbag from the spot.

–IANS

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