Agartala, Aug 19 (IANS): A Border Security Force (BSF) havildar was gunned down by militants of the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) on Friday, police said in Agartala.

A police spokesman said that the NLFT cadres fired on a BSF patrolling party at Simana Two along the India-Bangladesh border in north Tripura district injuring havildar Grijesh Kumar, 53, who succumbed to his injuries after he was shifted to Agartala hospital.

"The NLFT extremists fired from the Bangladesh territory and immediately after the ambush fled deep inside the mountainous forest of the neighbouring country after the BSF troopers retaliated the attack," the spokesman told IANS.

A huge contingent of Tripura State Rifles (TSR) led by Inspector General of police Arindam Nath and senior BSF officials have rushed to the mountainous areas for taking further course of action.

The slain havildar, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, belonged to 145 battalion of BSF.

Friday's incident was the first militant violence this year.

Tripura shares an 856 km international border with Bangladesh.