Agartala, July 19 : Twenty-seven mortar shells, which seem to have been used during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, were recovered while digging a fish pond at Rangutia in West Tripura district, the police said on Thursday.

Officer-in-charge of the Bamuthia outpost, Anthony Jamatia, said that 27 mortar shells were found buried near the house of Dulal Nama in the Rangutia area after the owner employed workers to dig out a fish pond on his land.

Jamatia said the shells were fused together and it is assumed that they might have been buried nearly 53 years ago.

'We couldn't find any information about the country of origin or the name of the manufacturer of the shells on their bodies,' the officer told the media.

A large contingent of police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel were rushed to the scene to oversee the excavation process at Rangutia, a small village located along the India-Bangladesh border.

Senior citizens from the locality claimed that during the Bangladesh Liberation War, the 'Mukti Yoddhas' frequently traveled to the border village for training.

They also claimed that the Mukti Yoddhas might have buried the mortar shells in the area, but didn't retrieve them after the nine-month war got over.

Tripura played a crucial role in the Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistani forces, which concluded after the Mukti Bahini led by Sheikh Mujibar Rahman declared independence on March 26, 1971.

/IANS