Major terror attack plot averted, Bru militants held with military grade explosives
In a chilling reminder that militancy in Tripura may be far from over, police in North Tripura on Thursday intercepted two suspected Bru militants of the Tripura United National Front (TUNF).carrying military grade explosives. The TUNF was suspected to have been planning to attack a police station or security post on the eve of Independence day to loot weapons.
The arrest, near Vangmun in Kanchanpur subdivision, followed precise intelligence about the group’s emergence and its plans for high-impact attacks.
“These men were on a mission. Our sources warned that TUNF was plotting to strike police stations, blow up patrol vehicles, and loot arms,” a senior police officer said . “Initial evidence ties them directly to this newly formed group.”
About 250 grams of explosive material suspected to be neogel 90 – a military grade high explosive was seized. Forensic teams have been rushed in to identify its exact nature and destructive potential.
Police say the operation was part of an intensified surveillance drive across Kanchanpur, triggered by secret inputs about the outfit’s activities. The suspects were stopped at the Vangmun naka point during routine checking—ending what could have been a deadly mission.
Security experts are alarmed. Just months ago, in September 2024, Tripura witnessed an unprecedented mass arms surrender when ATTF and NLFT factions laid down their weapons, seemingly closing a bloody chapter of insurgency. But reports soon surfaced of TUNF—believed to be composed largely of disgruntled Bru cadres—organising across the border in Bangladesh.
It may be mentioned here that about 32000 Brus who had been displaced from Mizoram folowing communal clashes were resettled in Tripura by the Union government.
Officials now confirm the group’s existence, saying it has already tried to assert dominance by sending extortion notices to locals in Kanchanpur and nearby areas.
The arrested men—Dhananjy Reang, 39, of Hailakandi, Lower Assam, and Soida Nanda Reang, 34, of Damcherra, North Tripura—are being interrogated for details about TUNF’s leadership, cross-border links, and future operations.
With the arrest, Tripura Police fear they may only have scratched the surface of a larger, more dangerous insurgent revival brewing in the state’s northern hills.
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|Also Read : Tripura Police foil TUNF plot to target I-Day celebrations, two arrested with explosives |
