BSF seals Meghalaya border to hunt down armed infiltrators from Bangladesh

The BSF on Wednesday said it has sealed all escape routes along the India–Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, as a joint operation is underway to track down armed infiltrators who robbed, assaulted, and attempted to kidnap a villager in the South West Khasi Hills district.

The operation, launched in the Majersora–Hathinala forest belt, is being conducted jointly with the Meghalaya Police and members of Village Defence Parties. The K-9 dog squad has also been deployed.

According to BSF officials, the infiltration took place on August 8, when at least eight armed men from Bangladesh crossed the border in the Bagli sector, stormed Rongdangai village, stabbed and injured a civilian, vandalised property, and tried to abduct a resident.

From August 9 to 11, coordinated action by BSF troops and police led to the arrest of four suspects and the recovery of a Bangladesh Police identity card, wireless sets, wire cutters, Indian and Bangladeshi currency, a suspected explosive substance, and handcuffs.

Two more suspects were later caught, bringing the total arrests to six. One of them, identified as Akram, was apprehended by villagers but died during treatment from injuries sustained during his capture.

On August 12, the joint teams recovered an intact suspected country-made explosive while continuing the search for the remaining intruders.

Inspector General of BSF Meghalaya Frontier O P Upadhyay, who is personally supervising the operation, commended the courage and cooperation of the troops, police, and villagers, and reaffirmed BSF’s commitment to safeguarding India’s borders from cross-border threats.

The combing operation is continuing, the BSF said in a statement.