NLFT men attack police convoy, 8 dead

AGARTALA, Nov 22 (UNI, PTI, ANI) — Outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) guerrillas killed eight policemen and seriously wounded five when they blew up their convoy with a landmine and grenades in the second militant strike within a week in the tiny north-eastern state, the police said.

Seven policemen on an anti-insurgency patrol were killed on the spot in South Tripura's Banduar area today when the NLFT rebels planted a landmine and hurled powerful grenades on two vehicles of the District Armed Rifles (DAR).

One of the injured later died in hospital.

The vehicle of the slain policemen was badly damaged.

This was the third landmine explosion by the militants in the state. On July 10, the ultras killed six persons, including five Tripura State Rifles jawans at Takumbari in South Tripura district following a landmine explosion.

It was the second major attack by the militants within a week in Tripura. On November 14, the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) guerrillas gunned down 18 non-Tribals, injured eleven and kidnapped four others at Panchabati village market in West Tripura district.

Superintendent of Police (Operation) Jaydeb Das said the ultras, also decamped with nine rifles of the policemen.

"The NLFT rebels laid a booby trap for the jawans of the District Armed Rifles, patrolling the area as part of the anti-insurgency operation", Mr Das said.

"As the first vehicle was blown up by the landmine, the militants hurled powerful grenades on the jawans killed seven and injuring six" , he said.

A massive search operation to nab the militants has been launched jointly by the Tripura State Rifles, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Assam Rifles. Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) K.Salim Ali and other senior police officials are supervising the manhunt.

The opposition Congress, the TUJS, the BJP and the Trinamool Congress have demanded the immediate dismissal of the Left Front Government in the state and imposition of President's rule.

The Trinamool Congress has given a 29-hour bandh call in the Udaipur area beginning from 1 p.m. today.

Vehicular movement has been disrupted in South Tripura district due to a spontaneous road block at Bishranganj on the Agartala-Sabroom main road, official sources said.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, BJP spokesman Brajesh Chakraborty said the party would continue its agitational programme demanding the dismissal of the Left Front Government and imposition of President's rule.

A delegation comprising senior members of the BJP would soon visit New Delhi to apprise the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of the situation in Tripura, he said.

"Things have gone beyond control of the state government and President's rule is the only remedy to the present situation", Sudhir Ranjan Majumder, Trinamool Congress President and former Chief Minister, said.

Leader of the Opposition in state assembly and another former Chief Minister Samir Ranjan Burman reiterated his demand for dismissal of the state government saying the Centre could not remain a silent spectator to the massacres by the militants.

Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar will meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on November 24 to discuss the prevailing situation arising out of increased militancy-related violence in the state.

According to officials, Mr Vajpayee during a meeting with a group of CPM Lok Sabha members led by Somnath Chatterjee in New Delhi yesterday, assured the latter of all help to the Tripura Government in curbing extremism.

Mr Chatterjee apprised the Prime Minister in detail of the prevailing situation in the state. He told Mr Vajpayee that the strength of the Tripura's two militant outfits — All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) and the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) would be about 900 and the two outlawed outfits had procured more than 600 sophisticated arms and weapons.

Mr Chatterjee asked the immediate deployment of additional 54 companies of the Army and the Assam Rifles to intensify the ongoing counter-insurgency operation, deployment of additional nine battalions of the BSF along the Indo-Bangla border with Tripura, border fencing, approval and financial assistance for creation of two more Tripura State Rifles (TSR) battalions and smashing of about 30 militant camps in the Bangladesh territory.

Tunnel on border discovered

AMRITSAR, Nov 22 (UNI) — A patrol party of the BSF found a 160-yard-long tunnel from the zero line towards the barbed wire fencing in the Ajnala sector early today.

According to BSF sources here, the location of the tunnel was near the Kamalpur border out post and its origin was somewhere in Pakistan territory. The sources also pointed out that the tunnel measured 160 yards in Indian territory.

The discovery of the tunnel came a day after an assurance to the BSF at the Lahore meeting that efforts would be made to reduce border tension and check the smuggling and infiltration of anti-social elements.

The sources said the tunnel was 5 ft high. They said although further investigation was in progress, in all probability the tunnel had been dug up for the smuggling of weapons and narcotics.

The sources said hadn't the tunnel been discovered it would have gone right under the barbed wire fence, thereby making it easy for the smugglers to sneak in at night.

A similar tunnel was discovered by the BSF in the Ajnala sector two years ago and Jacob alias Jakka, a Pakistani resident and smuggler, was said to be involved. The BSF did not rule out the involvement of Jacob this time also.

A flag meeting between the Pakistan Rangers and the BSF was held later in the day and a protest was lodged by the BSF, the sources said.