AGARTALA, June 18 – A total of 952 people have been killed and over 1200 kidnapped by insurgents in Tripura during the last five years, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has said.
In a written reply to a question by leader of the Opposition Ratan Lal Nath in the Assembly recently, Sarkar, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that 633 people were injured in insurgency-related incidents and 111 houses set ablaze by the ultras during the same period.
A total 836 insurgents had surrendered, he said, adding, 858 insurgents were arrested and 179 insurgents killed during the same period. Meanwhile, a massive combing operation is on in Jampui Hill range of the state bordering Mizoram and Chittagong Hill Tract of Bangladesh to rescue the 24 persons who were kidnapped by NLFT insurgents recently.
Initially 37 people, mostly small traders who were going to Kampui village in North Tripura district in two trucks, were kidnapped by the ultras at gun point. Thirteen people were later freed. Despite combing operations by the police, Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and partly by BSF in the border areas, no one could be rescued
The Chief Minister said that the Central Government would take up with Bangladesh the issue of demolishing the base camps of different insurgent groups of Tripura inside the neighbouring country and expedite the construction of border fencing.