BSF guns down five intruders along India-Pak Border in Punjab's Tarn Taran

Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead five intruders along the India-Pakistan International Border in Punjab early Saturday. This is the highest number of intruders killed in a single incident along the over 3,300 km-long border with Pakistan in more than a decade, officials said.

A senior officer said "alert troops of the 103rd battalion noticed suspicious movement of intruders violating the IB" in the Taran Taran district of Punjab. When asked to stop, the intruders fired on BSF troops who retaliated in self-defence. Subsequently, five intruders were shot dead, he said. Another BSF official said the incident happened around 4:45 am near the 'dal' border post that is close to the Bhikhiwind town of the district.

Punjab shares a 553-km-long frontier with Pakistan, apart from Jammu, Rajasthan and Gujarat, who together constitute the remaining part of the International Border.