You Can Never Guess Where These Mortar Shells From 1971 India-Pakistan War Were Found

At least 27 mortar shells were discovered when labourers were digging a pond in West Tripura district.

A huge quantity of mortar shells from the 1971 Indo-Pak war period were found in West Tripura district on Thursday. They were discovered during the excavation of a fish pond in the northeastern district's Rangutia. The discovery led to a stir in the entire area.

At least 27 mortar shells were discovered when labourers were digging a pond at one Dulal Nama's house, as reported by news agency PTI. Initially, 12 mortar shells were found, and upon further excavation, another 15 were recovered, according to the police. "The mortar shells, estimated to be around 50 years old, were severely damaged," officer-in-charge of the Bamutia outpost said.

According to NDTV, initially, it was unclear whether the shells were from cannons or mortars. However, later, it was confirmed that they were mortar shells. Villagers suggested the shells might have been buried by members of the Mukti Bahini (Bangladesh freedom fighters) and inadvertently left behind.

Confirming the recovery of the shells, Assistant Inspector General Ananta Das said, "The shells appear severely damaged, making it difficult to determine their exact origins or manufacturing details due to label destruction," as quoted by PTI. Das suggested that only arms experts could conclusively identify their history.

Mukti Bahini, instrumental in Bangladesh's liberation during the 1971 war, utilised Tripura's border as a strategic base against the Pakistani army.

According to the NDTV report, senior citizens living in the area claimed that during the 1971 war, which resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh, the Mukti Bahini travelled and trained in the Bamuthia area quite frequently. It is believed that the Mukti Bahini likely buried the mortar shells in this location but later did not need to retrieve them.

The officer-in-charge of the Bamuthia outpost, Anthony Jamatia, said that 27 mortar shells were found buried at Dulal Nam's house in Rangutia while digging a fish pond. According to the NDTV report, he claimed that the shells had been fused together and were estimated to have been buried for approximately 53 years. There was, however, no information found pertaining to the country of origin or the manufacturer of these shells.