Militants kill 31 in Tripura massacre

The ultras first opened indiscriminate firing in the market at about 8:30 pm and then proceeded to a nearby field, where a village fair was being organised, and opened fire, police added. They said eight persons died on the spot and of the six injured, two succumbed to their injuries on way to hospital.

Top police officials rushed to the spot and launched a search operation in the area.

Earlier, members of the All Tripura Tiger Force, accompanied by 40 tribal collaborators, raided Satchhari, a border village in West Tripura district and set 10 houses afire before opening fire, DIG (Range), A.K. Shukla said after a visit to the area.

As the villagers began fleeing, the extremists, who had entered the village from Bangladesh, opened fire and used sharp weapons killing 17 non-tribals on the spot, Shukla said. Two others died of their injuries at G.B. Hospital here. The ATTF also kidnapped one person. In another incident, suspected NLFT militants shot dead a couple, Nilimesh Pal and his wife Alpana, at Radhanagar village in the wee hours, the police said.