Northeast terror outfits moving to Myanmar: Assam Rifles

Agartala, Aug 25 (IANS) Terrorist outfits of the northeastern region have shifted their bases to neighbouring Myanmar following crackdown by the Bangladesh security forces, an official of the para-military Assam Rifles said Saturday.

"Several terrorist groups of the northeast India have been shifting their camps to Myanmar after the Bangladesh security forces continued their crackdown against them," Inspector General of Assam Rifles Satish Dua told reporters here.

"All the central and state security forces have been asked by the union home ministry to maintain a strict vigil about the movement of the militants in the northeastern region," he added.

Dua, who reached here Friday, met Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and top officials of the central and state security forces to discuss strategies to curb militancy in the state.

He said that Tripura has successfully tamed the 45-year-old phenomenon of secessionist terrorism.

"Separatist outfits have been trying to strengthen their groups in Tripura. They are now trying to be pro-active ahead of the next year's assembly polls," he said.

"The security forces, including the central forces, are also getting ready to retaliate in a befitting way," he added.

Tripura's Director General of Police Sanjay Sinha said that the separatist outfits have been trying to strengthen their factions in Tripura ahead of the assembly polls early next year but security forces are ready to tackle them.

Tripura's two militant secessionist outfits - NLFT (National Liberation Front of Tripura) and the ATTF (All Tripura Tiger Force), both banned by the Indian authorities - have set up bases in Bangladesh along with the outher outfits of the northeast region, and receive support from other separatist outfits of the northeast.

According to an official document, currently the number of NLFT cadres is 150 to 155, and the ATTF has 10 to 12 guerillas.