From Our Correspondent
TURA: The brazen attacks on bandh violators by GNLA militants during its strike call throughout Garo Hills on Tuesday has led to the death of three innocent civilians who were caught up in the militants’ fire.
Heavily-armed GNLA militants shot dead a truck driver and his handyman at Tapa Darenchi village, 5 kms from Mendipather town an hour after the start of its enforcement on Tuesday morning.
Another group of militants targeted the Chokpot Development Block office in South Garo Hills chasing away government employees, assaulting the chowkidar for opening the office and later exploding a grenade inside the building to show its firepower.
But the story did not end there as tragedy engulfed another village near Chokpot which the GNLA militant targeted later.
Those behind the attack on the Chokpot Block office fled towards the famous traditional enclave of Raja-Rongat en route to the nearby Nokrek-Durama Hill range.
While moving through the jungle terrain at around 5-6 pm, the militants entered Chambilgre village on the foothills of the mountain range and got enraged on seeing a group of village boys engaged in a sporting activity and accosted them warning them to return to their homes since the bandh was still in force.
The villagers refused to comply pointing out that they were inside the hamlet and had not done anything to break the bandh. The war of words soon reached a point of no return with the militants brandishing their weapons forcing a village elder to intervene.
The village elder Minotsing T Sangma (55 yrs) cautioned the militants from harming the village youth which infuriated the GNLA ultras, who in a fit of rage, opened fire killing the village elder. The rest of the villagers fled to their homes on seeing the cold-blooded murder.
Police were informed about the tragedy late at night but fear of ambush compelled them to reach the hamlet only the next morning.
Security forces have pinpointed the involvement of GNLA ‘area commander’ of South Garo Hills Baichung Momin in the cold-blooded killing of the village elder.
Baichung Momin alias Mikam whose original name is Ba’te Marak hails from Chokpot region itself. He was spotted with senior members Rakam, Laben and a group of other militants moving through the dense jungles of Chokpot region shortly after the Chokpot Block Office was attacked, police informed.