Ten Bangladeshi-trained militants surrender in Tripura
By IANSThursday, June 24, 2010
AGARTALA - Ten more Bangladeshi-trained Tripura terrorists have surrendered to the Indian troopers after the security forces of that country continued their crackdown against militants from northeast India, officials said here Thursday.
The 10 National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants escaped from their camps in different places of Bangladesh and crossed over to India before they surrendered to the Border Security Force (BSF) and Assam Rifles troopers in different places of Tripura during the past 24-hours, a police spokesman said.
“The tribal guerrillas during interrogation told the police and para-military troopers that they fled from their base camps in Bangladesh few days back following raids by Bangladesh security forces,” the spokesman said, adding that the rebels have been facing fund crisis.
With this, since Monday, 16 Bangladeshi trained NLFT extremists have laid down their arms.
“During interrogation of the militants, we received vital information about militants from northeast India taking shelter in the Bangladeshi territory,” the police official told reporters.
This year, around 60 militants of the NLFT and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) outfits left Bangladesh and surrendered to the Indian security forces.
According to an official document, over 8,000 tribal guerrillas have surrendered to the authorities in Tripura since 1993.
The ATTF and NLFT have been demanding independence for indigenous tribals and the secession of Tripura from India.
According to the BSF and other security officials, militants belonging to various rebel groups in the northeast region have set up about 90 camps in different parts of Bangladesh, specially Sylhet district and Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), bordering Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya.
After the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina came to power in Bangladesh in December 2008, security forces of that country launched a massive crackdown against these militants.
The Bangladeshi authorities have also handed over several top leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to India.
— Indo-Asian News Service
