Tripura CM urges BSF to foil insurgent intrusion

Sarkar made this appeal during his visit to three border outposts of Kaptali, Ghoracappa and Silachhari in South Tripura district yesterday, they said.

State Rural Development Minister Jitendra Chowdhury, DGP Sanjoy Sinha, IG, Law and Order, Rajib Singh and BSF DIG, Rajib Kapoor accompanied him during the visit.

Sarkar, who is also the home minister of the state, said according to intelligence inputs, six to seven camps were recently built by a leader of the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura, Suren Debbarma at Ayoddhyanagar of Khagraceri district of Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh.

The ultras from those camps were trying to enter Tripura through Silachhari border, he said.

Suren was involved in killing 18-20 jawans of Tripura State Rifles in Takarjala in West Tripura district a few years ago.

"Insurgency is on the wane in the state, but there should not be any complacency that they were finished. There are at least 20-23 camps in Bangladesh and they would try to conduct subversive activities before the poll," he said.

"A few disgruntled elements took to arms for a 'free Tripura' when the state was backward, there were no roads or developments and people were starving. But the situation has changed now," the chief minister said.

He said barbed wire fencing helped security forces to contain militancy in the state but some patches of the 856-km-long border still remain open.