20 policemen shot dead by Tripura ultras

Tewnty Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel, escorting a sick colleague, were killed and four wounded when their truck was ambushed by heavily armed militants of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) at Hirapur in West district today, police said.

The militants, positioned on hillocks on both sides of the road, hurled a grenade at the truck, bringing it to a stop and then opened fire with automatic weapons, sources said. Nineteen jawans died on the spot, 20 km from here, while another succumbed to injuries at the G.B. Hospital shortly after admission, they added.

The truck was headed for the hospital here to admit a jawan who was ill. He too was killed in the hail of bullets. Of the four injured admitted, two are in critical condition, sources said. The militants also took away 19 self-loading rifles and a light machine gun, a wireless set and of ammunition from the dead jawans, they said.