Shillong: The Chief of Garo National
Liberation Army (GNLA) had a narrow escape when his hideout
was busted by police teams in a Meghalaya village, police said on Friday.
Acting on a tip off about the presence of the GNLA
`C-in-C` Sohan D Shira, police teams raided Bawegre village
last evening, the police said.
"Police teams raided a suspected hideout of Sohan D
Shira at Bawegre village, about 4km away from Williamnagar
town of East Garo Hills district," Deputy Commissioner East
Garo Hill district Pravin Bakshi told PTI.
He said the militant and his aide had a narrow escape
when they saw the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos
approaching.
Police said the GNLA cadre opened fire first and
managed to escape from the camp.
According to police, they had to desist from opening
fire because there were children in the area.
Meanwhile, all three Garo Hills districts were put on
alert and the SWAT commandos and the Combat Battalion for
Resolute Action (CoBRA) of the CrPF have been pressed into
service to track the rebels who abducted Assistant Executive
Engineer A Pohthmi and Junior Engineer Boney Majaw of the
Meghalaya Electricity Corporation Limited (MeECL).
Heavily armed GNLA cadre abducted the two power
engineers at midnight on January 24 from their official
quarters in West Garo Hills district.
The GNLA which is fighting for a separate Garoland for
the Garos has been involved in abduction, killing and
extorting in the three Garo districts of Western Meghalaya.
PTI
