Agartala, March 17 (TIWN / IANS): Three tribals, including a woman, were killed and two others injured in BSF firing in southern Tripura, an official here said.

"BSF troopers were on routine patrol when they spotted a large number of locals trying to smuggle cattle to Bangladesh. When asked to stop, the villagers attacked the troopers with sharp weapons and batons. The troopers then resorted to firing and killed three persons," a Border Security Force official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Two persons injured in the firing at Chittabari village along the India-Bangladesh border were admitted in a government hospital.

However, locals complained to police that two BSF men tried to molest a tribal woman, which was resisted by the villagers before the firing.

The deceased are Man Kumar Tripura, 30, Par Kumar Tripura, 40, and Saralaxmi Tripura, 33. The injured are Jiban Kumar Tripura and Senchandra Tripura.

Senior BSF and police officials along with a large contingent of security forces led by south Tripura's district police chief Tapan Debbarma rushed to the area, 145 km south of Agartala.

Tripura shares an 856-km border with Bangladesh, a portion of which is still unfenced.