AGARTALA, Dec 10 (TIWN): BJP Tripura Observer Sunil Deodhar has once again highlighted on CPI-M sponsored Terror threats in Tripura by linking ATTF with serial blasts of Tripura which took place in 2018, ahead of Durga Puja. Addressing a rally, Deodhar said that after serial blasts many Muslim brothers were stretched in lock-up, tortured by police for many days, whether the blasts were done by none other than ATTF activists, CPI-M’s wing. “Without any court permission, the police had arrested 9 poor Muslim men and for long 3 days they were kept in lock-up, beaten by police. The party, which always talks about Muslim-welfare, had shown such attitudes just to save ATTF”, added Deodhar.In the 2008 Agartala bombings 4 people were killed and a 100 injured on 1 October 2008 in a series of 5 blasts set off in Agartala capital, within 45 minutes, while two unexploded bombs were defused. This is the fourth series of blasts in India within a week, the other three being the 27 September Delhi bombing, and the Malegoan and Modasa bombings.

The blasts went off at Agartala's main shopping area Maharaja Ganju Bazar, Gobind Ballah Pant market, a busy Radhanagar bus stand, Agartala Motorstand, Bottala and Abhay Nagar localities. The first blast happened at Gul Bazar around 7:30 pm (IST), followed by two more at Radha Nagar Bus stand and G B Bazar, around 7:35 and 8:15 respectively. The fourth at Palace Compound.

 An unidentified man was killed in the blast at Radhanagar bus stand while another person succumbed to injuries. Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said two persons riding a motorcycle were seen moving suspiciously at Radhanagar bus stand and the blast took place about three minutes after they left the area.

The wounded were rushed to G.B. Pant Medical College and Hospital. Tripura police spokesman Nepal Das said that two were high-density blasts, the third a low-density one.Though SP of West Agartala KV Sreejesh contradicted Das about the intensity of blasts, "All bombs were of low intensity. It was meant to create panic before the Durga puja celebrations

On 5 October another live bomb was found and defused in a temple in Agartala. Police officials said the powerful bomb, prepared with ammonium nitrate and other explosive materials and connected to a cell-phone, was found placed in a small tin in a Manipuri temple at the Radhanagar area. The bomb was found on Mahasasthi, the first of the five-day Durga puja festival.

The police suspect the involvement of Bangladesh-based terror group Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJI), a group which has been frequently blamed for attacks in Uttar Pradesh and Hyderabad. HuJI which has been using Tripura as a transit route lately, as the state shares a porous 856-km border with the neighbouring country. Three suspected HuJI members were arrested in Agartala in the last two months.[3] Tripura has long been a conduit for smuggling and terror merchandise, most violence in the state had been related to insurgencies of tribal groups.

Tripura's two main insurgent groups, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and the All-Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) have not had a history of carrying out bomb attacks on civilians, but a possible link between the two outfits and Bangladeshi Islamist groups like Huji had not been ruled out by security agencies.

Experts from the National Security Guards (NSG) began an investigation seeking to find the nature of explosives used. The team of NSG experts, led by Major Karam Bir from New Delhi, and a team of experts from the National Forensic Laboratory in Kolkata are investigating along with Tripura police officials.

The then DIG, Nepal Das said six persons have been arrested in connection to the attacks. Four persons, including one of those seen on a bike at the Radhanagar bus stand shortly before the blast there, were arrested on the same night of the explosions. And additional two others were arrested later. However, in this connection, the BJP leader on Saturday said that there is no relation between Muslims and serial blasts but  it was done by ATTF.