M A I N   N E W S

12 killed, 7 hurt in Tripura massacre

AGARTALA, April 15 (PTI) — At least twelve persons were killed, seven others injured and an unspecified number of huts gutted by the armed militants of the National Liberation Front of Tripura at Kalyanpur in West Tripura district today.

Commandant SO(2) of Assam Rifles, Major Guleria told PTI that NLFT militants raided the village and set afire a series of huts. When villagers came out of their huts, the ultras opened indiscriminate fire killing twelve persons on the spot and injuring seven others, some of them critically.

Police said 22 guerrillas, belonging to banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT), surrounded Khas Kalyanpur village shortly before dusk and set on fire a large number of houses. The ultras rained bullets from their automatic weapons when the villagers came out of their blazing houses. The rebels also looted valuables from the deserted houses.

This is the biggest militant attack this year after tribal guerrillas stepped up their violent activities before the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections, slated for April 30 and may 3. Today’s massacre was the second biggest during the last four years. Earlier, at least 18 people were killed by the militants at Panchabati in West Tripura district last year.

Kalyanpur, under Khowai sub-division and 50 km from here, witnessed of militant violence during December,1996 forcing the state government to promulgate the Disturbed Areas Act in 27 out of 45 police station areas in the state. On December 12,1996 six people were massacred by the militants in the Kalyanpur area. The West Tripura district magistrate this evening reimposed curfew for the next 13 hours in the Jirania areas which were rocked by ethnic violence on Monday.