Agartala, Dec. 4: Rampaging elephants killed one person and destroyed several houses, leaving 45 tribal families homeless, in the past few days in Watilong village of Baromura in the state.
The affected families are being sheltered in camps near a CRPF outpost in the village. The area falls under the Atharomura Hill ranges.
Waking up to the threat, the forest department has mobilised eight trained elephants from the Sipahijala sanctuary in West Tripura to tackle the wild elephants.
Police said elephant herd raided tribal establishments under Atharomura and Baromura hill ranges several times since November 29.
Brahmapada Jamatya, a villager of Watilong, was killed when several elephants ploughed through his house. Villagers later scared away the herd by beating drums and lighting torches.
Coconut plantations and paddy fields were also destroyed, the villagers said.
However, the tribals said that despite repeated complaints, the forest department did not act in time. State wildlife warden S. Chakraborty later mobilised eight domesticated elephants from the Siopahijala sanctuary and five more from Ambassa in Dhalai district .
The CRPF personnel posted in the area did not take any action against the rampaging elephants, the villagers said. But a CRPF source said the force could not do anything because of the Wildlife Protection Act.
Rebels clash: Factions of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) clashed in Bangladesh on Sunday, leading to the death of four militants and a housewife, sources said.
According to details available with intelligence agencies, two NLFT rebels were nabbed on Sunday by residents of Sahpur village in Comilla district and were handed over to the Bangladesh Rifles.
A major clash between the Biswamohan Debbarma and Nayanbasi Jamatya factions of the outfit preceded their arrest by Bangladesh Rifles.
Sources said one Jahandgir Alam of Chhinaia village in Comilla had rented his house to rebels of the Nayanbasi faction. At least 20 militants used to live in the house, occasionally sneaking into Tripura through the Golachipa area in Sonamura sub-division.
Recently, Jahangir Alam, a former jawan of the Bangladesh Rifles, established contact with the Biswamohan Debbarma faction with the help of Saleem Mia and Rabiul Mia, brother and uncle of Tripura’s Congress MLA Billal Mia, the sources said. He then ousted the rebels of the Nayanbasi faction, renting his house to activists of the Biswamohan group.
Incensed by the ouster, militants of the Nayanbasi faction raided Jahangir Alam’s house on Sunday. Alam’s wife, Neptune Nahar Filti, and four militants of the Biswamohan faction died on the spot.
Two minor daughters of Alam, Mausumi and Lipi, also sustained bullet injuries. They are undergoing treatment at the Comilla district hospital.
On being informed, police personnel from Burichong arrived at Alam’s house, ending the two-hour gunbattle. Sources said the two NLFT militants arrested by the Bangaldesh Rifles have been identified as Tipu Debbarma and Umaite Debbarma. Intelligence sources said the Bangladesh authorities have denied that those arrested were NLFT militants.
