1971 war mortar shells unearthed in West Tripura

A total of 27 mortar shells dating back to the 1971 Indo-Pak war were unearthed in West Tripura on Thursday.

 

Labourers digging a pond at the residence of one Dulal Nama initially found 12 shells, with an additional 15 uncovered upon further excavation, according to police reports.

 

Officer-in-charge of the Bamutia outpost reported the shells were severely damaged, likely due to their 50-year burial.

 

Villagers speculated the munitions might have been buried by the Mukti Bahini, the Bangladesh freedom fighters, and forgotten.

 

Assistant Inspector General Ananta Das confirmed the find, stating, "The shells appear severely damaged, making it difficult to determine their exact origins or manufacturing details due to label destruction."

 

He added that only arms experts could definitively trace their history.

 

The Mukti Bahini, crucial in Bangladesh's liberation during the 1971 war, had used Tripura’s border as a strategic base against the Pakistani army.