Tripura: 3 members of banned NLFT surrender with arms before BSF

Agartala: Three members of the banned outfit National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) surrendered before the Border Security Force (BSF) in Gomati district with weapons, ammunition and other documents, around 50 km from state capital Agartala on Tuesday.

Speaking with EastMojo, a BSF Public Relations Officer (PRO) said that the members of the banned outfit laid down their weapons on Tuesday morning. “The trio came from the other side of the border in Bangladesh where they have been actively working in recent past,” the PRO said.

The three returnees were identified as Sarna Kumar Tripura (29), Jarmaram Tripura (22) — both residents of Choto Shakbari under Manu Bazar police station in South Tripura district — and Sudharam Reang (38) of Ashapara in North Tripura district.

The militants surrendered before the 164 BSF at Maharani Camp with two .38 caliber pistols and 528 live rounds of .38 bullets.

NLFT was banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 1997 and has been involved in violence, operating from their camps across the international border. NLFT has been responsible for violent activities including 317 insurgency incidents in which 28 security forces and 62 civilians lost their lives during the period 2005-2015. Peace talks with NLFT were initiated in 2015 and there has been no violence by NLFT since 2016.

The home ministry had imposed a fresh ban of five years on the NLFT and ATTF on October 3, 2018 for their violent and subversive activities.

Recently, 88 members of the banned insurgent group of Tripura laid down their arms in the presence of CM Biplab Deb.

Earlier, In January this year, the Tripura police arrested three members of the banned outfit National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) following a threat letter issued to Tripura East MP Rebati Tripura.