TURA: Tuesday morning’s ambush on a police party by suspected GNLA militants is the third major attack on security forces by the banned outfit in the Garo Hills in the last three years. It has also left the highest number of casualties behind.
While Tuesday morning’s ambush at Kolapara area near Ramchenga resulted in the death of all five police personnel there were two similar ambushes in 2011 which resulted in the death of seven police personnel and one civilian driver.
In October, 2011, six police personnel on patrol duty were travelling in a private sumo vehicle (ML-09-A-0958) when they were ambushed by GNLA militants at Nengpatchi village, 4 kms from Dobu under Rongjeng police station in East Garo Hills. The militants opened indiscriminate fire killing four policemen and their civilian driver and left two constables injured. They also took away 2 AK-47 rifles, 2 SLR rifles and a semi-automatic carbine from the ambushed vehicle.
In the month of June, the same year, a red sumo vehicle (ML-08-A- 7483) requisitioned by police for duty was returning from an anti-dacoity operation during the early morning hours when a large group of GNLA militants ambushed them at Tapa Darengchi village, now in north Garo Hills district.
In that ambush which took place at 5:50 AM three police personnel were killed while another two sustained serious injuries but managed to escape by jumping out of the vehicle as the attack took place. The militants decamped with an AK rifle, one SLR, INSAS and a carbine machine gun along with several dozen rounds of ammunition.
