TURA: A militant from the GNLA breakaway group A’chik Songna An’pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) was captured after a gun battle between the armed rebels and police team in Rangmanpara village under Dalu police station on Monday night.
The exchange of fire between the police and ASAK militants, numbering around seven, took place at around midnight in the outskirts of the village that is located 2 kms from Chengapara. During the gun battle one of the militants identified as Rongma A Marak was hit on the leg and abandoned by his colleagues. Police captured him from the encounter site and confiscated a sophisticated foreign made Browning 9 mm pistol along with a walkie talkie handset and a mobile phone. They also found a GNLA identity card of the militant that had been sealed with a stamp of ASAK.
The militants were camping in the area under the leadership of one Goira believed to be the area commander.
The captured militant was treated at Purakhasia health centre and has since been brought to Tura civil hospital.
Meanwhile, two suspected overground workers of GNLA were arrested from Tura super market on Monday during an alleged extortion drive.
Tura police informed that the two suspects, Dipson Ch Marak (28) of Chokpot and Jisen Ch Momin (26) of Balupara-Babadam, had come to collect extortion money from traders. The two suspects had reportedly circulated GNLA demands through SMS service from their phones.