By Pinaki Das
Agartala, June 5 (ANI): Eight militants belonging to the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) laid down their arms and came back to normal life at Betbagan in remote Dhalai district Tripura on Wednesday.

The militants laid arms to Assam Rifles handed over a 7.62 mm SLR and 42 live cartridges and Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

The militants informed that they had initially take gun to fight for a separate tribal homeland but on realizing that it is baseless they decided to come back to the main stream of life.

All the cadres have been trained in using the latest arms and ammunitions at their training camps spread through out Bangladesh, which surrounds Tripura from three sides, from there they operate, they informed.

In separate incidents two NLFT (BM) militants namely Chikan Chand Tripura and Rajendra Tripura and three BNCT militants namely Mangal Tripura, Kamlijoy Tripura and Devsajoy Tripura surrendered before officer in charge Chawmanu PS at Kshetri Cherra under Chawmanu PS in North Tripura.

During surrender they deposited BNCT subscription pad and Bangladeshi currency notes.

Kidnapped Railway engineer rescued by TSR after more than a month

In a success after more than one month and ten days kidnapped Railway engineer Debabrata Das was rescued on Thursday after a heavy gun battle between militants and Tripura State Rifle (TSR) soldiers from the militants' hideout.

The incident occurred in an interior area Simultuibaklai under Champahower police station about 145 kilometres North-East from here. The sixth Battalion of TSR personnel led by L. Darlong, Commandant of the Battalion were conducting special operations acting on some secret informations about the movement of National Liberation Front of Tripura (BM) extremists (sub-group of Karna Debbarma at Koplai) with the kidnapped Railway engineer.

According to police the militants opened fire from their hide out sensing the presence of operation party and TSR also retaliated heavily.

The exchange of firing continued for about ten minutes and under heavy fire from TSR, the militants left the hide out leaving kidnapped Railway engineer taking cover of the thick forest.

TSR personnel later during search of the area rescued Das from the hideout.

A combing operation is still continuing and further search operations are being organized to nab the militant group.

NLFT (BM) militants had kidnapped Debabrata Das of Hailakandi, Assam from Tuikarma near Swapnabari under Mungia Kami police station on April 26. (ANI)