Patna: A smuggler was injured in a fierce gun battle between police and wood smugglers near Ramnagar in West Champaran district, around 180km northwest of Patna, on Saturday night.

Police said the smugglers' group fired on the police team around 10.30pm, when it was patrolling near Fulkaul village under the jurisdiction of Ramnagar police station in East Champaran district.

The smugglers were loading khair wood on a tractor when the police personnel reached the spot. The police also returned the fire causing bullet injuries to a smuggler, who was later identified as Naibullah Khan.

The 40-year-old West Champaran resident was rushed to MJK Hospital in Bettiah, the district headquarters of East Champaran. Later, another smuggler, identified as Ibrahim Mian, was nabbed and a tractor engaged in transporting wood was seized. Their third accomplice, Guddu Giri, however, managed to escape in darkness. "Raids are underway to nab Giri, who has been engaged in wood smuggling for long," a police officer posted at Ramnagar police station said on Sunday.

Bettiah superintendent of police Vinay Kumar said the injured smuggler was being treated at MJK Hospital under police custody. He said the arrested smugglers would be produced in the court on Monday after interrogation.