At a time when situation seem to be improving in Tripura, charges of rape and atrocities against security personnel have put the government on the backfoot. Protests are being launched over the allegation that a group of Assam Rifles jawans have    gang-raped a woman at Sachindraroazapara in Dhalai District and injured twelve others in the name of combating insurgency.

The jawans of 36 battalion of Assam Rifles conducted anti-insurgency operations on the night of February 8 in Gobindabari block area and during their search in the area recovered a country-made gun from the house of one Patijoy Tripura. During the search operation, a group of jawans allegedly entered the house of one pregnant woman and gangraped her. She suffered a miscarriage and   admitted to Rajib Gandhi Memorial Hospital at Kailashahar in north Tripura district.

According to reports, the jawans during their search operation also injured 12 villagers and men folk of 35 families fled their village in fear of the jawans. Meanwhile, two Assam Raifles jawans were injured in an encounter with the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) militants at Shankhala near Khowai in West Tripura district. In an anti-insurgency operation prior to the village committee elections in Tripura, a group of Assam Rifles jawans went on a combing operation in the Baramura hills and forest range.

During the operation, a gang of ATTF militants opened fire and hurled grenades on the jawans, critically wounding two. The jawans returned the fire and the rebels fled through the thick jungles. Both the injured jawans were rushed to the G B Hospital in the State in critical conditions.

In another incident, also in Baramura hilly range, the jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) fought a pitched battle with the ATTF extremists. During the heavy exchange of fire, the ultras managed to escape. However, there was no report of any casualty on either side. A posse of security forces had been sent to the Baramura hilly range to strengthen the combing operation. The Border Security Force had also been alerted to prevent the extremists from crossing over to their hideouts in Bangladesh.

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