The farmers, in the southern district of Karimganj which borders Bangladesh, said that in the past week up to two dozen villages had come under attack by the monkeys, which flee to safety across the border when chased.

"Monkeys in their hundreds from the jungles of Jakiganj in Bangladesh have virtually invaded our villages and are destroying paddy and vegetable fields," Sushanta Das, a community elder from Bedorong village, told AFP by telephone.

"Quite a number of children were injured by monkeys in the past few days," said another village elder, Subroto Roy. "We are chasing the animals and even prepared to kill them."

Wildlife officials confirmed receiving requests to help stop the monkey rampage from the villagers, who have formed vigilante groups to protect their fields.

"We really do not know how to tackle the problem. The monkeys come from adjoining Bangladesh and the moment they find villagers chasing them, they simply scamper across the border for safety," one official said.

"Maybe wanton destruction of the forest cover in Bangladesh could have resulted in the monkeys entering this side of the border for food."

India and Bangladesh share a 272-kilometer (170 mile) long border along Assam state, most of the area being unfenced and separated by concrete pillars.

Monkeys, often found around temples, are seen as a symbol of Hanuman, the mythical monkey god from the epic Ramayana.

But in recent months, monkeys lurking at an ancient Hindu temple in Assam's main city of Guwahati attacked up to 300 children, some of them seriously.

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