AGARTALA, February 19 (TIWN): Two terrorist outfits exist in State namely National Liberation Front of Twipra (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF). In a reply to a question raised by MLA Ratan lal Nath on Tuesday at Assembly, Minister-In-Charge of the Home Dept had informed that among these two terrorist outfits , the members in NLFT consists of 80 to 100 members and in ATTF consists of 30 to 40 persons. Security alert in Tripura is also at all-time high and security forces have warned that separatist groups are trying to revive themselves ahead of the assembly elections. The problematic outfit in Tripura is however the NLFT which has found to be recruiting cadres in the recent past and killed BSF jawans. Tripura govt has also extended AFSPA for six months, the anti-terrorism law that gives full powers to the armed forces to take any steps to control terrorist activities. The northeastern state of Tripura has 72 police stations. AFSPA has been in force in 30 police station areas, it is fully operational in 24 police station areas and partially operational in six police stations.

However, the SLCC is overseeing the counter insurgency operation in Tripura, which shares an 856-km border with Bangladesh.

Two separatist outfits - National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) - that operate in the state are also sheltering and availing arms training in the adjoining Bangladesh.

Both outfits have set up bases in Bangladesh and get support from other separatist outfits of the northeast India. They have been demanding secession of Tripura from India.

In 2014, Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion had recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition in Satchhari jungles in the northeastern district of Habiganj, bordering Tripura.

The arms and ammunition, belonging to ATTF, included anti-tank weapons, mortars and AF series rifles.

"Though the four-and-half-decade old terrorism has been tamed in Tripura, the state government is averse to taking any chances for some more time," according to top official sources. 

In view of the improvement of the situation and the lessening of terrorist activities, the Tripura government in June last year reduced operational areas of the AFSPA to 30 police station areas instead of the 40 earlier. The act was earlier fully operational in 34 police station areas, and partially in six.

The act was first enforced in Tripura in 1997, when terrorism was at its peak in the mountainous state.

On the other hand, when the ADC election here in Tripura has been knocking at the door, the BSF has made ready their forces to keep a strict vigil along the bordering areas of the state in wake restricting any kind of untoward incidents.

However, but it is mentionable here that ahead of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) poll slated to be held this year, extremists’ activities have started surfacing again in Tripura, reminding the militant violence and deadly ethnic conflicts and destruction of peaceful co¬existence between tribal and non¬tribal people in 2000, with abduction of villagers and construction workers engaged in border fencing work in demand of subscriptions.