15 militants surrender in Tripura

AGARTALA, April 28: Fifteen National Liberation Front of Twipra militants surrendered yesterday before state Governor Lt. Gen. (retd) K.M. Seth and CRPF inspector-general Vageesh Misra. The group, led by Manindra Debbarma, laid down arms at the CRPF's second battalion headquarters in Narsingharh near here. They would get rehabilitation benefits under a Union home ministry programme. The militants deposited an AK-47 assault rifle, two self-loading rifles, a 7.62 bolt action rifle, a 303 rifle, four countrymade guns and a large quantity of ammunition. The CRPF inspector-general said he is expecting more surrenders in the coming days. CRPF sources said the surrendered militants belonged to the official NLFT faction, led by Biswamohan Debbarma. They contacted CRPF personnel in Gandhacerra after fleeing their base camp in Mayani reserve forest in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh five days ago. "It's a four-hour walk through hilly terrain to reach Gandacherra from our camp in Mayani reserve forest," a militant said. The 15 hardcore rebels had joined the outfit between 1992 and 1995. They were involved in several killings, abductions and extortion, sources said. However, they decided to lay down arms after a rift in the NLFT rank and file over the "luxurious lifestyle" of their leaders. The outfit's leaders enjoy a cosy lifestyle, while the cadre were given only two sets of uniform and two square meals a day, the surrendered rebels said. "Our leaders stay in luxurious hotels in Bangladesh and other foreign countries. But we have to suffer in the jungles," a militant said. The ordinary cadre of the outfit are frustrated with the "aimless insurgency", he added. The division within the NLFT came to light in the first week of March when senior commander Nayanbasi Jamatya left the outfit's headquarters with a large number of followers. Since then, more than 20 militants belonging to the official and dissident factions of the NLFT had died in group clashes. More than 80 rebels had surrendered before security forces over the past three months. Combing operation: Massive combing operation is underway at Kantakobrapara and its adjoining areas in West Tripura district, where militants of the banned National Liberation Front of Twipra (NLFT) killed eight security personnel and a civilian on Thursday, adds UNI quoting official sources said. Joint teams of Tripura State Rifles (TSR), CRPF, Assam Rifles and state police have fanned out in different parts of the district and launched massive combing operation to flush out the insurgents involved in the killing, sources said. The Border Security Force has been put on maximum alert to prevent the militants from escaping into neighbouring Bangladesh, West Tripura superintendent of police Anurag Mathur said.