AGARTALA / KOLKATA / SONAMURA, Oct 20 (TIWN): Deepak Kumar Mandal, a Border Security Force (BSF) commanding officer who was attacked by cattle smugglers in Tripura's Sipahijala district on Monday, succumbed to his injuries today in Kolkata. The BSF Officer was injured while counter attacking cattle smugglers at Sonamura, had left in deep coma for 4 days. Mandal was undergoing treatment at Medica Hospital, suffering from multiple haemorrage in brain. The cattle smugglers attacked a Border Security Force (BSF) commanding officer along the Indo-Bangla border in Tripura in the early hours on Monday.

He was patrolling the area with his team to check cattle smuggling and other illegal activities along the international border which is “unfenced” . Mandal saw some cattle smugglers and challenged them, he said, adding the officer along with his guard and driver tried to stop them.

The group of about 25 smugglers were carrying bricks, lathis and machetes. When challenged, the smugglers tried to gherao the officer and the patrol party. Smugglers’ vehicle hit the officer from behind and he sustained severe injury to his head.

On Friday the officer took his last breath at Kolkata, BSF HQ informed.