Agartala: Extremist leaders of the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) and All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF), which maintains close relation with the ISI, have received training in Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

"We have information that some of the top leaders of NLFT and ATTF visited Pakistan and Afghanistan for training," Sarkar told the Assembly on March 25.

The Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, reiterated there were about 50 training camps of the NLFT and ATTF in neighbouring Bangladesh, which were being run with the active support of ISI.

Insurgents were sneaking into the state from these camps and returning to them after strikes, he said.

The ISI, he said was helping the insurgents by giving them training, arranging safe houses outside India and selling them arms and ammunition.

The Centre, he said, on the basis of inputs from the state government, had taken up the matter with Bangladesh but Dhaka had denied the existence of the camps.

Replying to a question, Sarkar said that the NLFT had five camps in neighbouring Mizoram and he had requested his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga to demolish them.

PTI