Agartala, Nov 2: At least three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel and a local villager were injured in a clash between border guards and residents of Ashabari village in Tripura’s Sepahijala district on Monday following the apprehension of a villager on suspicion of involvement in smuggling activities.
The incident occurred after a mobile patrol team of the BSF’s 49th Battalion allegedly apprehended the villager near the international border fencing, suspecting him to be a member of a smuggling gang. The man sustained injuries during the apprehension, triggering protests by local residents who accused the border guards of assaulting him.
Agitated villagers subsequently blocked a road, disrupting vehicular movement in both directions in protest against the alleged excesses by the BSF.
During the ensuing confrontation, at least three BSF personnel and a local villager were injured. The windshield of a BSF vehicle was also shattered.
Taher Miah, owner of a private Maruti car used to ferry school students to Bishalgarh, alleged that BSF personnel attacked his vehicle while it was parked along the roadside because of the blockade. The windshield of the car was reportedly damaged.
The injured BSF personnel were taken to Bokshanagar Social Health Centre for treatment.
A police team reached the spot and initiated an investigation into the incident. The BSF has not issued any statement on the incident so far.
Tripura shares an 856-km international border with Bangladesh, with the neighbouring country surrounding the state on three sides. More than 97 per cent of the border has been fenced with barbed wire, though smuggling and infiltration remain persistent border-management challenges.
