Timber smugglers attack forest team in Tripura; 6 guard injured

Biswendu BhattacharjeeAgartala: At least six forest guards, including a range officer, were injured when timber smugglers attacked them in a remote area of Kanchanpur in North Tripura on Tuesday. The attackers also caused significant damage to two departmental vehicles. However, no arrest has been made so far.Police said acting on a tip-off about timber smuggling, a forest protection team set up an ambush near Chandipur on Monday night. Early Tuesday morning, the team tried to stop a vehicle loaded with timber near Chandipur, but the driver ignored their signals and sped away. The forest guards chased the vehicle in a departmental vehicle.The driver later abandoned the timber-laden vehicle and fled. Shortly afterward, a group of around 50 people returned and attacked the forest guards. At least six personnel, including a range officer, sustained injuries in the assault, police said.