A group of around 30 Bangladesh armed intruders on January 8 went on rampage attacking Border Security Force (BSF) troopers and civilians in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills district, a police official said.
BSF Havaldar Shivshankar Dey and a civilian identified as Pratap Bareh of Amdoh village were seriously injured in the attack by the intruders.
A police official said the intruders also snatched away the weapon from the injured BSF trooper but it was later found after the BSF conducted a thorough search of the jungle area around the BSF post.
Police official said the intruders first attacked the BSF troopers at Rongtila, who were patrolling the area at around 12.30 am and later another group of intruders went to attack Bareh’s house with a sharp weapon at Amdoh and snatched his SBBL gun and looted cash and other articles.
Before the gun was snatched, Bareh fired with his SBBL gun at the attackers, and one of them was injured, the police official said.
A flag meeting was also held at Rongtila on Wednesday afternoon between officials of the BSF and Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB) regarding the incident.
During the flag meeting, the BSF protested the intrusion by the armed Bangladeshi national. The BSF demanded strong action against the Bangladeshi criminals.
BGB officers, who visited the place of occurrence and later confirmed that they had identified the culprits and appropriate action as per law of the land will be taken against them.
The fresh attacks occurred a few days after similar attacks by Bangladeshi robbers on Indian villagers in the same area along the Dawki-Nongtalang road on January 3-4. Five villagers were injured in the incidents where the attackers vandalised the cars of the injured villagers who returned from a marriage party and snatched their valuables, after which they flew to Bangladesh.
The Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) along with some headmen from the Dawki area met Meghalaya Home Minister James K Sangma and apprised him about the incidents that have caused fear among the border residents in view of the repeated attacks by the Bangladeshi nationals.
The JSU and the village headmen also demanded immediate deployment of security personnel in the area.
