Security beefed up in Tripura as militants boycott Independence Day

Agartala, August 14 : Security has been beefed up in the state as different banned militant organizations of the region have called a boycott of the Independence Day celebrations in the Northeast along with the anti-Indian militant groups of Kashmir.

With call for boycott of Independence Day celebrations beginning to pour from across the gamut of North-eastern India's by at least five militant organizations, security forces and the state administrations in the seven sisters including Tripura are revving up the security mobilization to avoid any type of untoward incident ahead of and during the celebrations of 61st anniversary of India's Independence Day.

Para-military forces along with sniffer dogs are conducting search operations in the interior parts of the States and are checking all vehicles and passengers at different places including the national highway.

Meantime, Border Security Force (BSF) has intensified its vigil across the 856 kilometre porous Indo-Bangladesh border to stop any type of trans-border movement.

At the different vulnerable places in the urban areas security personnel have been deployed and the dog and bomb squads are conducting regular checking.

Security at the national highway, bus terminus, crowded market places and at the airport has been increased. Different drop gates have been established at different points of entry to the capital Agartala.

The five militant groups that have announced their boycott through a statement e-mailed to journalists are the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Manipur People's Liberation Front (MPLF)- comprising several major militant outfits in the state- the Kamatapur Liberation Organization (KLO) and the Tripura People's Democratic Front (TPDF) and National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT).

The militant groups active in Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, have called a 17-hour general strike on Friday.

According to a central Home Ministry report, 22 militant outfits are operating in Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland and Mizoram.

Of the 22 outfits, 13 rebel groups have been declared 'unlawful associations' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967' the report says.

Police informed that adequate security measures have taken and is confident that like previous years this time also the Independence Day celebrations shall be peaceful. By Pinaki Das

ANI