6 hostages rescued in Tripura

AGARTALA, February 11: Six hostages, including a teenaged girl, were freed from captivity following an encounter between security forces and NLFT insurgents at a jungle in RK Pur police station area of South Tripura district on Sunday, police said. NLFT militants fired at a joint team of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and District Armed Reserve (DAR) from their dideout forcing the security personnel to retaliate, police said. The six were rescued after the militants escaped following the brief gun-battle leaving the hostages behind, police said. There was no report of any casualty on either side. The hostages had been abducted by NLFT in December and January last, police said, adding, the girl had been kidnapped two months back. The tip-off about the militant hideout had been given by an arrested NLFT sympathiser, Gatirai Reang, police said. Meanwhile, tribal villagers caught hold of NLFT insurgent, Bisu Debbarma, at Ballav Sardarpara under Jirania police station of West district on Saturday and handed his over to police.