Mortar shells believed to be from 1971 India-Pakistan war era unearthed in Tripura

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27 mortar shells were unearthed during excavation work for a fish pond in Rangutia, a village bordering Bangladesh in the West Tripura district. As per police, the discovery was made on July 18 by labourers engaged in digging activities at the site.

Anthony Jamatia, the officer in charge of the Bamuthia outpost, told the media that the shells may have been buried for nearly 50 years.

"At around 2 pm, we received information that a few shells were found while digging a pond at one Dulal Nama’s residence. We rushed to the spot and found 27 mortar shells. We believe the shells have been buried for nearly 50 years," Jamatia added.

A large contingent of the police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel from the Bamutia outpost were sent to the spot to oversee the excavation process, after which the shells were diffused. However, authorities couldn't determine the country of origin or the manufacturers of the shells from their bodies. Only weapons specialists can definitively identify the historical background of the recovered shells.

Meanwhile, elderly locals said that fighters of Mukti Bahini, the guerrilla fighters of the Bangladesh freedom movement, frequently travelled and trained in Bamutia during the 1971 India-Pakistan War. They believe Mukti Bahini fighters might have buried the mortar shells in the area but did not retrieve them after the war ended.

Tripura played a crucial role in the nine-month-long Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan, which concluded after Mukti Bahini, led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, declared independence on March 26, 1971.

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