TURA: Over a dozen suspected militants barged into a village market near Tikrikilla in West Garo Hills district and forcibly abducted three non-tribal traders at gunpoint on Monday.
The group of militants, numbering 15, entered the weekly market of Tebronggre (not Rongram) and pulled away three traders who were selling their wares.
The village market is located between Tikrikilla and Dadenggre and not far from Damal Asim village.
The abducted traders are Dulal Roy (50) and Manik Roy (40) both hailing from Tikrikilla and Abdullah Ali (40), who comes from Gomaijhora village on the Assam side of the border.
All three traders were engaged in petty businesses ranging from selling merchandise to exporting ginger from the Garo Hills to Assam.
Sources reveal that among the fifteen men who came to the market and abducted the traders, four were dressed in camouflage uniforms and possessed weapons while the rest of the group wore civilian clothing. Police suspect involvement of banned GNLA, which is known to operate in that area and has been behind several kidnappings in the past. The area is also a familiar route used by militants to cross from Garo Hills to neighbouring Assam.
