Vegetable vendor snatches rifle from BSF jawan

Agartala, Aug 1 (UNI) A vegetable vendor snatched the service rifle of a BSF jawan at Manikpur post in eastern Tripura yesterday.

Jawan Kumbharam Reang, a resident of Tripura, is now undergoing treatment at Agartala Government Medical College.

Police said a local tribal youth, who went to the post for selling vegetables suddenly attacked the sentry with a sharp weapon and snatched his service rifle and 25 rounds of ammunition.

The vendor, who used to sell vegetables at the post for past few months, attacked Kumbharam when he found him alone at the post and decamped with the rifle and bullets police added.

Elsewhere at Ampanpalli, a self-styled area commander, identified as Sonaram Chakma (38) of National Liberation Front of Tripura, was killed last evening.

Police said that some militants were sheltering in an abandoned tong house (typical forest house of tribal people) opened fire on a patrolling party, who were in a search operation in the forest following a tip off. The militant was killed in a retaliatory firing which continued for about an hour. The militants escaped from the spot leaving behind the dead commander. A US made pistol was recovered from the slain outlawed militant.

UNI