Pusparampara (Tripura), Nov 24 Members of the banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) recently raided Pusparampara village in North Tripura district and kidnapped eight tribals, including four women, at gunpoint and shot them in a nearby jungle.

The victims were relatives of seven NLFT militants who had surrendered earlier and it is believed that the NLFT targeted them in retaliation against the surrenders. he militants also seriously injured a few villagers.

"We saw around five, six persons firing indiscriminately and my children ran for their lives and I followed them, but was hit by a bullet," said Gayarung Reang, a victim.

This is the first major incident of militancy in Tripura this year.

The attack has been widely condemned by the people, and in protest against the massacre, a 24-hour bandh was called in Kanchanpur subdivision.

"They are scared and evacuating the village as militants may attack again. Temporary security force camps are being set up but people have go out of the village for farming and there is every possibility of being target of militants," said Balijoy Reang, another victim.

NLFT operates out of Bangladesh and police suspect the militants from across the border carried out the attack and then returned to the other side. (ANI)