Three militants among four die in gun battle
TURA: A Meghalaya Sericulture officer who was kidnapped by Rabha militants in neighbouring Dudhnoi area of Assam over a week ago has been rescued unharmed by Assam police after a gun battle in which three militants and a collaborator were killed on Sunday night.
The extension officer of the sericulture department, Dilip Dutta Medhi, posted at Resubelpara in North Garo Hills district, was kidnapped from Chotomatia village by Rabha militants while he was travelling towards Dudhnoi on November 16.
Following intense operations to flush out the kidnappers on the Assam side of the border, the militants who belonged to the Rabha National Liberation Front (RNLF) were attempting to shift their captive to a safer location when police intercepted them.
Assam police intercepted a three wheeler tempo carrier in which the militants were transporting their victim at Buglamary village, 10 kms from Dudhnoi town, at 7:30 Sunday night.
According to police, the militants tried to break through the police blockade (Nakka) by lobbing a hand grenade and opening fire. The grenade failed to explode.
In the ensuing gun battle three militants and the tempo driver were killed while the remaining two cadres managed to escape into the darkness. The sericulture officer was brought out of the vehicle unhurt.
From the tempo police recovered an automatic carbine machine gun, one automatic pistol and two hand grenades.
Police informed that the militants had planned to transfer their captive across the inter-state border into Garo Hills to escape the Assam Police and army operations which had been taking place ever since the official was abducted at gunpoint.
One of the militants killed has been identified as Kanu Rabha of Laila village under Krishnai police station. He had been involved in several criminal cases and was previously arrested in Assam, inform Assam police sources.
The bodies of the four killed in the encounter were shifted to Goalpara hospital on Sunday night while the rescued officer was placed under protective custody at Dudhnoi police station to be later handed over to Meghalaya authorities so that he could be reunited with his family.