Dhaka hunts N-E rebels on its soil

Already plagued by threats from homegrown Islamic extremists, the Bangladeshi Govt has ordered eviction of militants operating in India’s northeastern states enjoying a safe sanctuary in that country, reports Syed Sajjad Ali.

Already plagued by threats from homegrown Islamic extremists, the Bangladeshi government has ordered eviction of militants operating in India’s northeastern states enjoying a safe sanctuary in that country.

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A highly placed Indian police source, who did not want to be named, said Bangladeshi security forces raided several locations in Moulavi Bazar district bordering western Tripura to track down Indian militants on Monday.

Troops from the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) dismantled a camp of the All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) at Satchari in Moulavi Bazar and arrested a militant while the others fled to nearby forests without challenging the troops, the source said.

“Some 15 militants were in the camp before the RAB stormed it. They were able to flee the area with arms, ammunitions and important articles,” the source said.

The RAB conducted raids on various locations in Moulavi Bazar, where militant outfits such as the ATTF, People’s Liberation Army of Manipur, the United Liberation Front of Assam and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland are believed to be based.

The militants, living in hideouts in northeastern Bangladesh, are now trying to cross over to India. But the barbed wire fencing in most parts of the Tripura border is proving to be a major obstacle for them.