Agartala, Nov 3 :Nine people, including three women, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in an attack on Border Security Force (BSF) personnel near the India-Bangladesh international border in Tripura’s Sepahijala district, police said on Tuesday.
Three BSF personnel, including a Company Commander, were injured after a group of men and women allegedly attacked them with sticks at Ashabari under Kalamchaura police station on Monday, a senior police official said.
According to the official, BSF personnel noticed some Indian and Bangladeshi smugglers allegedly engaged in illegal cross-border trade and rushed to the spot. They apprehended an Indian suspect, while the Bangladeshi smugglers fled from the other side of the border fence.
The Indian suspect, however, managed to escape and allegedly told villagers that he had been assaulted by BSF personnel, prompting a large number of people to gather at the spot, the official said.
The mob allegedly surrounded the BSF vehicle and attacked the personnel, leaving three of them injured. The attackers also attempted to snatch a rifle from one of the jawans and damaged a BSF vehicle.
One of the attackers was also injured during the incident. The injured BSF personnel were subsequently taken to a government hospital for treatment.
The mob allegedly attempted to block roads by felling trees to obstruct the movement of security forces and civilian vehicles. Senior BSF and police officials rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Police have arrested nine people so far, while an operation is underway to apprehend the remaining accused, the official said.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, strongly condemned the attack and said those involved would face strict legal action.
In a post on X, Saha said violence against security personnel would not be tolerated and directed the authorities to take swift action against the accused.
Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury also condemned the assault but alleged that the state government had failed to take effective steps to curb cross-border smuggling. He claimed that some ruling party workers were involved in the illegal trade, an allegation that has not been independently verified.
Tripura shares an 856-km-long international border with Bangladesh, making the state vulnerable to cross-border smuggling and other transnational crimes.
