From Our Correspondent
TURA: In a surprising development, four Garo militant belonging to the Liberation of A’chik Elite force (LAEF) surrendered in Williamnagar on Tuesday evening along with some arms. The outfit, which was believed to have been done away with by security forces following the killing of its leader, still remains a potent force, if Tuesday’s surrender is to be acknowledged.
Since the launch of the anti-militancy operations by special CoBRA units of the CRPF in the jungles of East and south Garo Hills, security forces were anticipating the surrender or destruction of the most potent outfit- Garo National Liberation Army. They were instead surprised to find the arrival of four hardcore LAEF militants who gave themselves up before East Garo Hills Superintendent of Police, J F K Marak, at Williamnagar police station. The militants handed over one automatic China-made carbine and a 9 mm pistol with ammunition. The surrendered cadres are Zethus N Marak (32 Years) of Gabil Koksi in Rongjeng, Sillang G Momin (24) of Garobadha, Sengchar G Momin (27) of Mangsang, andSalman R Marak (26) also of Mangsang in the extreme border of East Garo Hills close to West Khasi Hills district. The LAEF was formed by a former Meghalaya police commando Peter Marak who was eventually killed in an alleged fake encounter by the state police in a remote jungle of East Garo Hills after his arrest from Jorabhat area of Assam. The LAEF was the first Garo militant outfit to strike with explosives at public places. LAEF militants lobbed a hand grenade inside Tura Super Market complex leading to the death of two innocent civilians and injury to many more. The oufit simultaneously ignited blasts at Mendipather and Nangalbibra but without any casualties. Despite the death of Peter Marak, the outfit continued to create havoc in the East Garo Hills-West Khasi Hills border belt and during a major shootout caused the death of a police commando of the elite SOT group during an encounter in the month of December, 2008.