Militants kill woman, burn shops in Tripura

AGARTALA, Jan 3: A woman was killed and shops torched by insurgents at Barongbari in West Tripura district last night.Police said today a...

AGARTALA, Jan 3: A woman was killed and shops torched by insurgents at Barongbari in West Tripura district last night.

Police said today a group of unidentified militants came to Barongbari, a small hamlet under Bishalgarh police station of West Tripura district.They raided the house of one Ashok Datta and opened fire, killing one woman.The same group later torched the small Barongbari Market, police said, adding eight shops were completely gutted in the fire.

In another incident, another group of suspected NLFT insurgents attacked Pal Para, a non-tribal village under Takarjala police station of West Tripura district last night.

The militants kidnapped Sushil Debnath, a school teacher, a Class Six student and another person at gunpoint. The militants also demanded a heavy ransom for their release.

Meanwhile, a group of about eight NLFT insurgents armed with sophisticated weapons kidnapped one person while he was working in his field at Kalacherra under Shantibazar police station of South Tripuradistrict yesterday, police said. About 100 panic-stricken villagers had taken shelter at Shantirbazar Dukbunglow after the incident.

Top officials rushed to the spot with additional forces and intensified patrolling in the area to defuse tension.