AGARTALA, Oct 3 (TIWN): Around 10 to 12 armed militants from the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) have allegedly entered korbuk Sub-division under Gomati district through the long unfenced border area ahead of Village committee polls to revive themselves and disrupt the elections procedure. According to sources, the extremists’ threat has started rising in the eastern sector with incidents of kidnapping of workers for subscription. The banned outfit of NLFT has intruded in the area to disrupt the smooth conduct of the village committee elections.A highly placed official source confirmed that Area commander of NLFT BM association Rathomoni Koloi with a team of 12 members have intruded to the land of the South district and has started disrupting the smooth living of the locals of the area. BSF and district police administration were asked to maintain strict vigil along the border so that militants could not enter into the Indian soil, the source added. Tripura also shares 856-km-long border with Bangladesh which constitutes 85 per cent of its total border and some parts of the border areas are still unfenced. The locals have confirmed that at least 12 members of NLFT BM group have intruded in the Indian soil from Bangladesh to disrupt the peace and tranquility of the state. However, the sources confirmed that the militants were seen with huge arms and weapons and the association has base at Bangladesh Khagrachori district Nabaratna Para.

Police is continuing its interrogation to find out if the militants had any plan like the series of blast they had conducted in capital Agartala in October 2008 just before the festival of Eid and Durga Puja.
 
The present state of ethnicity and extremism in Tripura is a recent phenomenon; the state did not witness any major outbreak of communal riots or killings before 1980.

NLFT, which was formed in 1989 with a pledge to fight for a separate tribal homeland, became crippled after three of its factions surrendered under separate arrangements with the central government since year 2000. It’s banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967, and police had framed sedition and serious criminal charges against its top leaders and many cadres for unleashing bloody campaign against troops and non-tribal population.

They ruled out possibility of any major bounty to the NLFT except a beneficial rehabilitation package to leaders and cadres mainly based in camps at Khagrachari district of Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylet region of Bangladesh. The group is also under tremendous pressure in Bangladesh owing to frequent combing and search operations by security forces across the border.