The Border Security Force (BSF)recovered cows with improvised explosive devices (IED) tied around their necks aimed at targeting troops who try to catch them at the Harudanga border post Murshidabad District of West Bengal on July 25, reports India Today. BSF officials said this is the first time they have come across this cruel method that can potentially lead to fatal injuries to both the cattle and force personnel, in case the crude bomb is triggered during handling. Few such cattle, with an IED placed inside a small aluminium canister tied around their neck, were recovered from the river near the Harudanga border post along the south Bengal frontier, they said.
After being tied with banana trunks and ropes, the cattle were dropped in monsoon-water laden rivers from Malda, Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas and Nadia Districts, officials said. "We are studying the type of IED prepared by the smugglers that is aimed to scare BSF troops from intercepting cattle smuggling incidents. A total of 365 cattle being smuggled across the border to Bangladesh have been recovered since Wednesday (July 24)," they said.