AFTER relative calm for the last couple of months, the militants belonging to National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) struck in a big way in Tripura. Opening indiscriminate firing on innocent people at a crowded market in Khowai sub-division, the ultras dressed in Army uniform, killed at least 16 people on the spot and injured many more. The victims include a seven-year-old girl and two women. Superintendent of Police (SP) Dhurjati Gautam informed that two groups of NLFT ultras encircled the Singicherra Bazar and fired at the people, who had gone there for marketing on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

The ruling CPI(M) condemned the incident and observed a dawn to dusk Statewide bandh to protest against the massacre. In a statement, the CPI(M) said that the strike was a desperate attempt to create panic as the militants were cornered and isolated due to the resistance by the people and effective combat by the security forces in the insurgency affected areas. The incident is being described as one of the bloodiest in the State’s two and a half decades old insurgency and the first in the past one year.

Following the incident, the State Government launched a massive manhunt to nab the assailants. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has urged the Centre to send additional para-military forces to the State to intensify counter-insurgency operation. In a statement, the Tripura Chief Minister said that the result-oriented operation by the security forces had driven the militants to desperation out of which they had launched fresh offensive to whip up ethnic and communal passion. Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police and Tripura State Rifles, at the time of filing the report, are holding combing operations to apprehend the NLFT extremists. Director General of Police B. L. Bhora was personally supervising the anti-insurgency operation. The 840 km long Indo-Bangla international border has also been sealed.

As the international border is just five km away from the spot, many believe that after committing the crime, the ultras had crossed over to Bangladesh. According to police, breaking a relative lull over the past several months, the outlawed NLFT had launched a fresh offensive aimed at subverting the forthcoming by-election to the West Tripura parliamentary constituency. All police stations in the State have  also been directed to intensify security measures to prevent     ultras from perpetrating any more strike with the Republic Day drawing closer. Both the militant organisations active in Tripura, the NLFT and the ATTF have called for a boycott of  the January 26 celebration in the State.
     
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