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Extremists gun down 18 in Tripura
Eighteen people, including eleven Territorial Army and four General Reserve Engineering force personnel, were gunned down in an ambush by tribal terrorists at Chawmanu in Tripura's Dhalat district on Tuesday. The police said the victims also included three of GREF's casual workers.
The victims were travelling in two vehicles when the extremists, from atop a hill, fired from automatic weapons, killing all 18 men on the spot. The terrorists escaped with the arms and ammunition of the slain jawans. Six critically injured civilians have been admitted to hospital.
Senior army and police officers have rushed to the spot with the counter-insurgency-trained Assam Rifles troops.
A massive combing operation has been launched to nab the terrorists, who escaped deep inside the jungle close to Chittangong hill tracts of south east Bangladesh border.
A red alert has been sounded in the state, and all police stations and Border Security Force personnel have been asked to maintain a watch on the situation.
The security forces in the North-East have been on maximum alert since Sunday, following an attempt on Assam Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta's life.
The police said at least seven people have been picked up from different parts of Assam in connection with this conspiracy.
UNI
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