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Ultras kill 21 in Tripura

Central and state security forces today fanned out to the remote hilly areas of Tripura's Dhalai district, where at least 21 people, including nine Border Security Force jawans, were killed yesterday by outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura extremists.

Senior police and BSF officials told the media in Agartala today that the tribal militants escaped with four weapons including three self-loading rifles, one light machine gun and a huge cache of ammunition.

The terrorists first used improvised explosive devices to bring the BSF convoy to a halt, and then sprayed bullets from the hilltop killing seven BSF personnel, including a head constable, and 11 tribals on the spot. Two jawans and a tribal died on the way to hospital.

Immediately after the incident, the militants crossed the Indo-Bangla border -- which is just five yards away from the site of the massacre -- and took shelter in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in south-east Bangladesh.

A red alert has been sounded all over Tripura. The state government has asked the security forces to enforce a tight vigil, specially in areas with a mixed -- tribal/non-tribal -- population.

The incident occurred as 24 BSF jawans were returning to the border outposts along the Indo-Bangla border after conducting an anti-insurgency operation. About 30 tribal men, women and children were also travelling by the BSP vehicles after some shopping in Raishabari.

One BSF vehicle skidded off the road following the explosion. Soon after, NLFT terrorists began firing from both sides of the hilltop, killing 18 people on the spot. Fourteen others, including three jawans, sustained critical injuries.

This was the first time that powerful explosives have been used in an attack on security forces in Tripura. Officials said the use of RDX or Sentex in the explosion could not be ruled out.

The incident is one of the worst instances of extremist violence in Tripura. On December 13, 1996, tribal extremists killed 26 non-tribals at Kalyanpur. On February 16, militants gunned down 22 non-tribals in Khuwai sub-division in West Tripura district.

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