Police rescue kidnapped traders after gun battle
TURA: Four traders abducted by GNLA militants on Wednesday from Dadenggre civil sub-division in West Garo Hills District were rescued by police after a gun battle in which one suspected ULFA militant ‘deputed’ to co-ordinate with the Garo outfit was shot dead.
The encounter took place at around 9:30 am on Thursday after police teams on the lookout for the militants came across them at Darekgre village in Damal Asim area of the civil sub-division.
A massive combing operation was launched on Wednesday after GNLA militants kidnapped the four traders, identified as G. Sheikh, Shah Alom, Ajgar Ali and Musaddar Ali when they had gone to Dadenggre weekly market to sell their wares.
According to police the militants were taking rest in the house of the village Nokma when SWAT commandos raided the village.
A sentry on the lookout spotted the approaching police teams and opened fire leading to a gun battle in which the sentry was shot dead.
The rest of the GNLA militants, numbering eight members, fled from the house leaving behind the four businessmen who were holed up inside the house. All four captives were rescued unharmed.
Police recovered an AK rifle with over 50 live rounds and two magazines, a 7.65 pistol and GNLA identity cards. The militant who was killed in the encounter was identified as one Dharma Kanta Rai from a GNLA identity card found on his body. Although the deceased is believed to belong to the ULFA he was operating for the GNLA and is said to be an explosive expert.
“The ULFA militant was trained in the assembling and use of IEDs and was with the GNLA to target police teams on the move. He had been operating with the GNLA for close to two years and his name in the group was Garo Champa,” said district police chief Mukesh Kr. Singh.
This is the second successful rescue of abducted civilians from the hands of militants in West Garo Hills in less than two weeks.
Earlier, the Ampati branch manager of SBI Arvind Kumar was rescued from a gang of kidnappers in Mellim area of West Garo Hills.