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Tripura guerrillas kill six, kidnap five

National Liberation Front of Tripura guerrillas gunned down at least six people, injured 17 others and kidnapped five villagers in separate incidents in the state Tuesday night.

Heavily armed militants opened fire in Dhalai district's Maynama market, killing three, including two aged tribals, on the spot. Eight others were injured.

The rebels kidnapped a person before leaving the spot, 94 kilometres from Agartala.

In another incident, militants raided a shop at Barjala in West Tripura district, and kidnapped four people. When the locals tried to prevent them, they opened fire, killing two, including a nine-year-old girl. Two others were injured in the neck.

In a third incident, rebels attacked a passenger jeep at Champaknagar on the Assam-Agartala national highway, also in West Tripura district, and shot dead one person. Seven people, including women and children, were injured.

This is the first time that the NLFT, which recently collected huge quantities of arms and ammunition, has simultaneously attacked three places.

Additional security forces led by senior officials have rushed to the spots. The state government has sounded a red alert for the militants.

Meanwhile, locals blocked the Agartala-Sabroom road in protest against the attack at Bishramganj, 30 kilometres from Agartala. The south and parts of West Tripura district are cut off from the rest of the state following the blockade since early morning.

UNI

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