From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: Shallang Police on Wednesday nabbed two suspected cadres of the Liberation of Achik Elite Force (LAEF) from Nongchram Village, 16 km from Shallang while another suspected cadre surrendered at the Shallang Police Station.
The two militants – Bindas Sangma and another who is yet to be identified – were arrested after police laid a trap for them. The two militants who were on an extortion spree in the area had demanded Rs 15 lakh each from three coal gates at Shallang.
In a covert operation, police personnel disguised as gate keepers arrived at an agreement with the militants to pay Rs 5 lakh which was to be paid in a remote jungle area at Nongchram on Tuesday. However, the militants did not turn up at the spot after which the policemen, pretending to be gate keepers, rescheduled the meeting for Wednesday.
When the militants arrived at the rendezvous point at around 2 pm on Wednesday, a heavy exchange of fire took place for about 10 minutes following which police arrested the two militants and recovered a .9 mm US made pistol from them.
Police informed that there was no casualty on either side and operations would continue to flush out the remaining members of the outfit.
The militant who surrendered on Wednesday was identified as Gapalin Sangma, police informed.
