1962 Indo-China War-Era Mortar Smoke Bomb Recovered from Assam Riverbed

A mortar smoke bomb, believed to date back to the 1962 Indo-China war, was found in a riverbed in Assam’s Sonitpur district. Discovered by a local villager, the bomb was safely detonated by the Army. Police officials suggest the unexploded device is likely Chinese-made.

A mortar smoke bomb, believed to be from the 1962 Indo-China war era, was recovered from a riverbed in Assam's Sonitpur district, a top police official disclosed on Saturday.

Found in the Dhekiajuli area, the bomb was safely detonated with the assistance of Army personnel, he confirmed.

Sonitpur Superintendent of Police Barun Purkayastha explained that the two-inch-long explosive was discovered by a local resident of Jougapur village while fishing in the Sesa river on Friday evening.

'The area falls under Missamari police station. The bomb is most likely Chinese-made, dating back to the 1962 war,' the SP noted.

The war was fought in Arunachal Pradesh, neighboring Assam.

Mortar smoke bombs are a type of ammunition used for various purposes, such as creating a smoke screen to evade enemy fire or to obscure reconnaissance and surveillance efforts.

'The bomb was safely detonated with help from an Army team from Missamari camp, led by Lt. Col. Abhijit Mishra,' Purkayastha added.

(With inputs from agencies.)