ASAK militant killed in encounter
TURA: South Garo Hills police have shot dead a Garo militant and successfully rescued a kidnapped person from remote Rewak region of the district on Tuesday morning. Three other militants were also caught during the operation.
This is the third successful rescue operation of Garo Hills police within a month’s time.
Two weeks back, West Garo Hills police rescued an abducted SBI official and four traders from the clutches of militants and a dacoit gang.
Manoranjan Das, a welder working for a local contractor, was supervising the construction of a hanging bridge of the Border Area Development project at Rewak when a group of six to eight militants belonging to ASAK outfit picked him up from his work place on the night of June 27.
Police caught up with the militants and their captive four days later.
On Tuesday morning, at around 5am, SWAT commandos of South Garo Hills police came across the ASAK militants holed up inside an isolated thatched house outside of Rongaigittim village, 25 kms from Baghmara town.
The militants who were keeping watch spotted the police team and opened fire.
During the encounter one of the militants was shot dead. He was identified as Bethma Ch Sangma alias Jolamajol hailing from Silkichigrikgittim village of Chokpot.
Three other militants holed up inside the house were unsuccessful in making a break as security forces surrounded the place during the encounter. They surrendered to police.
The three arrested ultras are Arjensing M Marak alias Skang (19), Aiwal D Shira (19) both hailing from Era Aning village of Nangalbibra and Joshua B Marak of Rewak.
From the encounter site police recovered an INSAS rifle with a magazine and 14 rounds, a 9 MM pistol with two rounds, a single barrel shotgun (SBBL) with two rounds, a wireless receiver handset, demand notes and camouflage uniforms.
ASAK behind teacher’s abduction: Meanwhile, police have identified A’chik Songna An’pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) outfit as the group behind the abduction of primary school teacher Utpal Dey who was kidnapped on Monday while travelling from Tura to Dalu.
The lower primary school teacher was travelling in a three-wheeler auto with two other persons when armed militants accosted them at Koronggre, near the Kali temple.
The militants took the teacher captive but released the others and the vehicle. On receiving information of the abduction, police from Dalu gave chase but failed to catch up with the militants who reportedly took shelter in Machangpani area which was found out later by the police.
Meanwhile, there is no information on the whereabouts of a shoe trader hailing from Kakripara, near Kalaichar, who was reportedly kidnapped from Dalu on June 29th when he had gone to the border area to sell his wares.
“We are still not sure about the incident since no report has been filed but if it did happen there is a strong possibility that it could be ASAK militants who are of late operating in the area,” said senior police officials from Garo Hills.
The ASAK was formed by a breakaway group of GNLA militants led by Reding T Sangma over differences with GNLA chief Sohan D Shira.