AGARTALA, June 12 – A top leader of the outlawed All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), Sachindra Debbarma, was killed by gunmen in Bangladesh, Tripura Director General of Police G M Srivastava said here on Friday, reports PTI. Debbarma, political secretary of the ATTF and third in the hierarchy of the rebel organisation, was attacked by gunmen at Tekuarbazar near Teliapara railway station, a few km inside Bangladesh, late on Thursday, Srivastava said.
Debbarma was attacked while returning to the ATTF headquarters at Satcherri after buying supplies at Tekuarbazar, he said, adding the rebel leader died on the spot along with a bodyguard. Infighting within the ATTF was behind the killing, Srivastava said without elaborating. ATTF had alleged in the latest issue of its mouthpiece Choba recently that surrendered rebels were being used by the state police to attack their bases and leaders.
Stating that the police had no role in the attacks, Srivastava said they are fighting each other. The ATTF has emerged as the state’s most powerful rebel group after the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) split into three factions.
One faction led by Mantu Koloi surrendered to the state Governor last month. Another faction led by Nayanbashi Jamatia is negotiating with the government. The third NLFT faction is still fighting and trying to coordinate its actions with the ATTF in a desperate bid to stave off marginalisation.