Shillong: Four tribal separatists were killed and five arrested in a gun battle with security forces on Friday in the northeastern state of Meghalaya, police said.
The gunfight took place at Gajingpara near Mendipathar in the East Garo Hills district when security forces were conducting a combing operation based on specific inputs about the presence of a large group of Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants in the area.
"After nearly three hours of fierce gun battle, we managed to kill four and capture five GNLA militants. We are yet to identify the dead rebels," a police official said.
A large cache of weapons and ammunition was recovered from the dead.
The GNLA is a militant group fighting for a homeland for the Garo tribe in Meghalaya. The outfit is involved in large-scale extortion and kidnapping of coal miners in the area.
IANS
