From Our Correspondent
TURA: In a shocking incident relating to militancy and extortion, five innocent and unarmed coal labourers were reportedly shot dead by armed militants in retaliation for the quarry owner’s failure to pay up on time on Monday afternoon in Nangalbibra region of South Garo Hills.
According to reports reaching here, a heavily armed group of militants went to the coal quarry operated by one Amitabh Sangma/ Marak at Darangdura, 10 kms from Nangalbira, at around 4:30 PM on Monday.
The militants came to the quarry campus and pushed the labourers to one corner before opening fire on them from their automatic rifles resulting in the death of five workers and injury to many more.
“We got the information about five labourers being shot dead by the militants. We have rushed our police teams to the site,” informed district SP Davis Nestell R Marak to The Shillong Times on Monday evening.
The full report on the attack and the number of casualties is expected only by Tuesday morning due to the remoteness of the region which has no proper vehicular road and mobile telecommunication network.
Meanwhile, primary suspect remains the newly formed United Achik Liberation Army (UALA) headed by one Norrok X Momin.
The armed group is said to have served demand notes on coal mine owners throughout Nangalbibra region in the last month and amounts ranging from five lakhs to one crore has been demanded by the outfit.
The UALA was formed after Norrok X Momin, whose real name is Singbirth, parted ways with the ANVC-B to form the new organization.