Agartala, Dec. 22: In a new twist to the insurgency equations in Tripura, two outfits have taken on the most powerful faction. This is likely to trigger fresh factional clashes in interior areas. The Nayanbasi faction of the National Liberation Front of Tripura and the All Tripura Tiger Force have decided to gang up against the official group of the NLFT led by Biswamohan Debbarma.
Already the two outfits have launched joint operations against the NLFT group led by Biswamohan Debbarma in remote areas of trouble-torn Takarjala police station.
Official agencies keeping tabs on militant activities said the attack by the NLFT (Biswamohan) on the central headquarters of the Tiger Force in Satcherri area of Habiganj district of Bangladesh on December 6 had brought the two groups closer.
Altogether eight Tiger Force militants were killed in the attack and seven others were seriously injured. Tiger Force commanders held a meeting with NLFT (Nayan) militants at the latter?s base in Nalua area opposite to Khowai subdivision.
A decision for a joint offensive against the official NLFT group led by Biswamohan Debbarma was taken in the meeting on December 10.
On December 12, Tiger Force supremo Ranjit Debbarma held a meeting with dissident NLFT commander Nayanbasi Jamatya at the latter?s Nalua hideout opposite to Bogabil area of Khowai subdivision. They reached an understanding over joint operations.
The Tiger Force and NLFT (Nayan) militants launched a joint attack on their rival?s hideout at Baish Kard area under Takarjala police station on December 15. Altogether three NLFT (Biswamohan) militants were killed in the action and a carbine and three grenades were looted by the two outfits.
Sources said after the December 15 attack, the NLFT (Biswamohan) group ? which had been holding sway over the entire Takarjala area ? was forced to wind up three of its bases, fearing further attacks.
The other NLFT (Biswamohan) hideouts likely to be attacked are Killa Karma, Briddhi Bazar and Ratanpur.
in interior areas of Takarjala police station.
All these areas are likely to fall to the Tiger Force and NLFT (Nayan) groups soon even though security forces have already launched largescale operations in the areas.
Sources said the NLFT leadership held an emergency meeting of area commanders and other senior activists in their base areas in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh on Thursday.
Sources said the official group of the NLFT was wracked by dissension and a series of attacks on commanders by lay cadre. Demoralisation has also set in the wake of surrenders by large groups of NLFT rebels.
A number of leaders in the hideout at the Chittagong Hill Tracts are running scared. Even senior NLFT commander Kamini Debbarma has rented a house near their base in interior areas of Khagracherri district and operates from it without meeting armed activists. The group is, however, trying to reorganise itself, sources added.