Tripura: BSF jawan killed by NLFT

A BSF head constable was shot dead by militants of the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) on Friday, police said in Agartala. NLFT militants fired on a BSF patrolling party at Sima-II on the Bangladesh border in north Tripura district, injuring Grijesh Kumar, 53, who died though he was airlifted to a hospital.

A BSF team was on an area domination operation at Sima-II border outpost area in Kanchanpur subdivision when NLFT militants fired from Bangladesh territory and fled deep into a mountainous forest when BSF troopers retaliated, according to the police. A huge contingent of Tripura State Rifles led by IGP Arindam Nath and senior BSF officials rushed to the mountainous areas later.

"A group of heavily armed militants fired at BSF jawans from the Jupui area in Bangladesh's Rangamati Hill district. The jawans retaliated, leading to a fierce encounter between the two sides," police superintendent Kiran Kumar told PTI. "Security has been beefed up on the India-Bangladesh border after the incident. Area domination has also been intensified. We will take up the issue with Border Guards Bangladesh for necessary action," the officer said.


Kumar is a resident of Madhya Pradesh and belonged to 145 battalion of BSF. Friday's incident was the first violence this year. Tripura shares 856 with Bangladesh.