M A I N   N E W S

NLFT guerrillas gun down 11

Agartala, March 21
NLFT guerrillas mowed down at least 11 persons, including four BSF jawans, and injured 10 in an ambush at Marachara in North Tripura today.

The police said here that the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) attacked the BSF when the latter was escorting workers and labourers of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) from Kalatilla border outpost to Reang Basti Bop, killing four jawans and five GREF workers and labourers on the spot.

Two other labourers succumbed to injuries on way to hospital. The injured were being treated at Kamalpur hospital and G.B. Hospital here.

A massive combing operation by the CRPF and the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) was on to nab the militants. Senior BSF and police officials were monitoring the manhunt.

The Police said the militants before leaving the spot, close to Bangladesh border, decamped with some arms and ammunition of the slain jawans. UNI

5 IAF men die in copter crash

Bangalore, March 21
Five IAF personnel were killed when a MI-8 IAF helicopter crashed near Chikkajala in Bangalore rural district this evening.

The trainee chopper crashed shortly after taking off from the Yelahanka Air Base on city’s outskirts and all bodies were charred beyond recognition, Bangalore rural district Superintendent of Police S. Ramakrishna said.

Apart from pilot Sqn Ldr A.K. Singh and co-pilot, Ft Lt Heblekar, the other victims were Warrant Officer Chavan, Flight Engineer and trainee Flight Engineers Reddy and Mishra, he said. PTI