Meghalaya encounter ends, Garo rebels` camp destroyed

Zee Media Bureau/Deepak Nagpal

Shillong: The gun battle between security forces and rebels of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) ended Thursday evening. The daylong encounter came two days after Garo rebels killed a woman in front of her children for resisting rape. Reports coming in from Meghalaya state that the security forces have destroyed a camp of the Garo rebels. The security forces also recovered an air-gun and three bullet-proof jackets from the militant camp. There was no confirmation of any casualty from both sides. The gun battle had started at 8 am this morning, and involved personnel of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) commandos, district police chief Davies NR Marak informed. The encounter took place in Adugre area, about 370 km from the state capital Shillong. The crackdown was launched on the GNLA camp two days after members of the militant group killed a 35-year-old Garo woman. The rebels shot her dead in front of her children after she resisted their rape bid. The GNLA camp is located at Adugre in the foothills of Durama Hills. This hill range is a vast densely forested area in Garo Hills which has been used by GNLA and ULFA rebels as sanctuary. Sohan D Shira, chief of the GNLA`s military wing, is controlling his rebels from Durama. The GNLA, one of the five Garo tribal rebel groups, is fighting for a separate Garoland to be carved out of Meghalaya.