Bankura, September 8 (Daily Kiran) : A World War II mortar shell was unearthed along the banks of the Damodar River in Bankura, West Bengal, creating a stir in the area. Upon receiving reports of the discovery, local police quickly cordoned off the site and notified the Indian Army.
The incident occurred on Monday evening when residents of the Sonamukhi area spotted a suspicious metal object partially buried in the soil. This shell had apparently gone unnoticed until now. As news spread, a crowd gathered at the site, prompting locals to alert the Sonamukhi police station.
Police sealed off the area and called in military personnel. By Tuesday morning, army officials arrived to assess the mortar shell and the surrounding vicinity.
This is not the first time World War II-era ordnance has been found in Bankura district. Previously, several explosive-laden shells have been recovered near the Dwarkeshwar and Damodar rivers. Just a few months ago, three mortar shells were found in the Dihipada area of the Sonamukhi police jurisdiction, which were safely deactivated by the army.
Professor Arunabh Bandyopadhyay, in charge of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) at Bankura Christian College, noted that during World War II, the Pierdoba area in Bankura housed a significant military base for British and American air forces. This strategically important base conducted operations against several countries in Southeast Asia, including Japan.
He explained that many weapons from that era remain buried beneath the soil and sand. The periodic recovery of these mortar shells serves as a testament to the historical military activities that took place in the region.
In October 2025, a World War II bomb was also discovered in the Bolpur area of Birbhum district, which the Indian Army neutralized safely. The controlled explosion at that time was so intense that it was felt in nearby villages.
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