Haldwani, Oct. 11 -- The Forest Department has decided to equip its frontline staff in the Terai region with modern firearms In response to a surge in violent encounters with armed smugglers. Forest personnel will soon be armed with advanced rifles and pistols, officials said. "Our primary goal is to protect forests and wildlife, but in recent years, our personnel have faced increasingly violent attacks from heavily armed smugglers...Many of our guards have been injured, and some have even lost their lives in such encounters," said Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) , Umesh Chandra Tiwari. HTC...