Mizoram Bru Militants Traced to Tripura Refugee Camps

Aizawl, Nov 29 : Suspected Bru militants who had looted cash and valuables from two trucks at Kanhmun village along Mizoram-Tripura border came from the relief camps of the Bru refugees in Tripura, police said today.

The militants in army uniform, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, intercepted the trucks carrying cinnamon and decamped after forcibly taking Rs 3,000, vehicle documents and mobile phones from the truckers on Saturday, Superintendent of Police of Mamit district, Dingluaia said.

He said Bru militants had planned to attack an India Reserve Police outpost at Kolalian last week, but the attempt was foiled after the arrest of three rebels who were sent to recee the outpost.

Security has been beefed up along the Mizoram border with Tripura and Assam after the two incidents and police parties were sent to patrol the border areas.

Meanwhile, four Bru families returned to Mizoram from Tripura relief camps on Saturday on the promise that they would be given rehabilitation and resettlement fund even if they come back without the help of the government, official sources said.

The repatriation process was discontinued after anti-repatriation elements in the refugee camps organised road blocks to prevent the refugees from returning to Mizoram and obstructed Mizoram government officials from carrying out identification of the refugees, the sources said.