Army out after massacre of non-tribals
The army today launched joint combing operations after tribal guerrillas gunned down at least 12 non-tribals, including women and children, injured many others, besides setting several houses afire in Tripura.
The army staged a flag march with an Assam Rifles regiment to nab the militants who had earlier given a poll boycott call.
Sources said a large number of villagers from different places of West Tripura had moved to safer places following violence that began last evening.
Senior army, state police and civil officials are camping in the affected areas and supervising the combing operation as well as relief work.
In the first incident last night, heavily armed ultras attacked a non-tribal village, Urabari, in Sadar sub-division, and shot dead three people, including two women, and injured many others. An aged woman was burnt alive, while another villager succumbed to injuries on the way to hospital. The ultras set ablaze many houses before leaving the spot.
Another group attacked three non-tribal dominated villages of Purbaganki, Naliabari and Kalabagan under Khowai sub-division killing seven people, injuring many and setting afire as many as 50 houses. These villages are dominated by non-tribals who came into the state from Bangladesh, then East Pakistan.
Last night's incidents had taken place within three days of first pre-poll violence at Samatal Padmabil in west Tripura on February 9 in which five non-tribals were killed and two injured by the banned All Tripura Tiger Force.
UNI
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