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 people allegedly assaulted them with sticks at Ashabari under Kalamchaura police station on Monday.
A senior police official said BSF personnel noticed some Indian and Bangladeshi smugglers allegedly engaged in illegal cross-border trade and rushed to the spot. They managed to apprehend an Indian suspect, while the Bangladeshi smugglers fled across the border fence.
The apprehended suspect, however, escaped and allegedly told villagers that BSF personnel had assaulted him, 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 in the incident. The injured BSF personnel were taken to a government hospital for treatment.
The mob allegedly felled trees to block roads and obstruct the movement of security forces and civilian vehicles. Senior BSF and police officials rushed to the area and brought the situation under control.
Police have arrested nine people so far, while efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining accused, the official said.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, condemned the attack and warned that 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 prompt 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 further claimed that some ruling party workers were involved in the illegal trade. The allegations have not been independently verified.
Tripura shares an 856-km-long international border with Bangladesh, making it vulnerable to cross-border smuggling and other transnational crimes.
