Exchange of fire in Garo hills

OUR STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, March 14: Police, SWAT commandoes and central armed para-military forces had a fierce encounter with 25-30 armed GNLA militants at Rewak area near Siju in South Garo Hills on Saturday morning. The militants were engaged in heavy exchange of fire after the police forces caught site of their movement during the mounted counter insurgency operations launched since Tuesday. A senior police officer monitoring the operations said, “The heavily armed militants used the thick forest to scramble for cover.” There was no casualty on either sides, but the police suspect that the militants were part of the big group that was involved in the Monday ambush in Panda reserve forest that left four policemen dead. Meanwhile, well-placed intelligence sources divulged that another strong group of GNLA militants have entered into South Garo Hills district from Bangladesh. The group used the contagious border villages in both sides of the border to infiltrate into Garo hills, informed a source while refraining from disclosing on whether the group comprises of any ULFA member.

The GNLA and the ULFA have been working in tandem. The latest being the brutal ambush at Panda Reserve forest near Baghmara.