Two BNLFM rebels and a teacher killed in encounter

Agartala, Jul 14 (UNI) In yet another successful offensive against the underground militants, security forces shot dead two insurgents and a teacher was killed in cross firing in Tripura's North District, bordering Mizoram early hour of yesterday.

According to police reports reaching here today, Tripura police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jointly on a tip off launched a search operation at remote Kharaichara under Damchara police station close to Mizoram border.

They had information that four to five members of BNLFM rebels were hiding there with a kidnapped teacher from Karimganj District of Southern Assam.

As soon as the security personnel arrived at the spot, militants fired indiscriminately on them. The state police and TSR retaliated killing two top militants on the spot. The kidnapped teacher was suspected to be killed in cross firing. The other members of the gang, however, managed to escape under the cover of the firing.

The teacher, identified as Mrinal Kanti Chakraborty, was kidnapped by the militants at gun point from his house at Patharkandi in Karimganj district of Assam.

Later in a search operation, security forces recovered a Chinese rifle, a .22 rifle and some other incriminating documents from the encounter site.

High police officials rushed to the spot and launched massive operations to nab the guerrillas.

UNI PB BA RD 1107