SIMNA, Tripura, May 7 — Banned All Tripure Tiger Force, which had been keeping a low profile for the last four years, staged a bloody come back last night shooting down 19 villagers including six women and nine children in West district. Six were injured in the attack and four among them are reported to be in critical condition.
The incident took place at around 1 a m last midnight in the village at Satcherri-Simna Colony located at Sidhal police station area and 34 kms from Agartala city. Tripura State Rifles and BSF launched a massive combing operation in the area to hunt down the militants. This was the bloodiest massacre in recent time and both the opposition and ruling parties called 12 hours bandh tomorrow. The Assembly also witnessed bedlam over the massacre and Speaker Ramnedra Debnath had to adjourn the House twice. An all party delegation from the assembly will visit the spot tomorrow. Villagers said the ATTF militants accompanied by about 40 collaborators and Bangaldeshi criminals first cordoned off the village and began arson. As the villagers rushed out their thatched huts already in flame, the militants and their accomplices shot and hacked them to death. After the carnage the marauders escaped to Bangladesh crossing over the border about 2 and half kms from the spot. They also looted valuables and cattle heads from the villagers.
All the villagers of Satcherri Simnna colony were from SC families and basically farmers from East Bengal who had settled here in early fifties. The villagers believe that the ATTF militants were involved in the massacre because they maintain a well-equipped camp at Satcherri village in Habiganj district of Bangaldesh, about only two and half kms from he Satcherri-Simna Colony. DIG AK Shuka also supported the claim saying that the police had specific information about the Satchem camp and ATTF rebels movement in the area.
The villagers alleged that although the area was not very far from the BSF out post and the staccato of gun fire could be heard and razing flames could be seen, the BSF jawans did not rush to the village for their rescue. Meantime, CPM claimed that the villagers were their supporters. Only yesterday a couple Nilimesh Pal and Aparna Pal and a tribal CPM leader Rasamay Debbarma were killed by militants while three persons were kidnapped from different parts of the State.