Kokrajhar, Jan. 28: Unidentified criminals, suspected to be timber smugglers, fired at forest staff at Ultapani under Ripu-Chirang reserve forest under Haltugaon forest division in Kokrajhar late last evening.
Six bullets hit the vehicle.
However, the forest officials escaped unhurt.
According to officials in Kokrajhar, the forest officers were on regular patrol duty around Ultapani when the gunmen fired upon them.
Three forest staff were present when the incident occurred.
Locally made rifles were used for the attack.
This is not the first time that timber smugglers have attacked forest officials.
On January 21 this year, three forest officials were seriously injured in a similar attack at Kuklung camp in Ripu-Chirang reserve forest in Chirang district.
In May last year, a forest official was seriously injured when timber smugglers attacked forest officials on duty inside Ripu reserve forest under Kachugaon forest division.
Unidentified gunmen, suspected to be timber smugglers or illegal forest encroachers, damaged a patrol vehicle of the forest department in the Kachugaon forest area.
In July last year, two crude bombs were thrown at the central range office premises and Kachugaon forest IB. In September, a mob attacked a forest patrol team returning with seized timber and buffalo carts at Matiapara under Sapkata police station in Kokrajhar.
The same month, forest guard C. Borgoyary was found murdered under mysterious circumstances near Gurufella in Kokrajhar.
The department has faced attacks from timber smugglers or forest encroachers whenever they have taken action against illegal activities.
"Illegal encroachment and felling of trees, especially in Ripu-Chirang reserve forest, is going on unabated in a well organised manner with political patronisation. With ever increasing encroachment and largescale smuggling, it seems we are fighting a lost battle. A sea of humanity is hell bent on mindless destruction," said a senior forest official posted in BTC, adding that the department was trying to revive the forest wealth and it needs collective effort from all sections of people.
The forest wealth of BTC has been thoroughly over exploited. Widespread encroachment of forestland and indiscriminate feeling of trees have severely degraded the forests.
According to official records over 40 per cent of the forestland is under the grip of encroachers. Unofficial sources said the encroachment is about 70 per cent.
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