Forest Protection Force attacked by smugglers in Tripura

A Correspondent

Agartala: Members of the Forest Protection Force were attacked by a group of timber smugglers when they went to drive away a rampaging herd of elephants at Baluchhera area beside Krishnapur under Teliamura Forest Division on Thursday night. Two members of the FPF, Manindra Munda and Mangal Chandra Saha, sustained serious injuries and were transferred to a hospital. The vehicle they were travelling also was seriously damaged. A complain has been lodged with the Teliamura police station but none have been arrested so far.

Every year, herds of elephant come down from the nearby jungle of Baramura during the dry season for want of food and destroy paddy fields and also attack the human habitations.

The Forest Protection Force personnel in two groups were going to Sriram Khara and Krishnapur under Mungiakami block after receiving a call from the villagers that a herd of elephants has entered in their locality.

They came under attack on their way at Baluchhera area. It is presumed that the smugglers attacked the forest official thinking they were patrolling the area to prevent timber smuggling.

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