SHILLONG: Despite busting several camps belonging to GNLA militants in the recent past, police are yet to trace self-styled ‘commander-in-chief’ of the outfit, Sohan D Shira, who has managed to remain elusive.
In the latest case, police on Thursday busted a GNLA hideout in a remote hill terrain near Chokpot in South Garo Hills. However, police could not arrest any member of the outfit.
In the past, several raids were conducted in GNLA camps where Sohan D Shira and other senior cadres were holed up but police could not trace them even after the recovery of arms and ammunitions.
Police had also busted a main camp of GNLA in the past but they could not make any breakthrough as the GNLA leader had managed to escape, probably after being tipped off.
On Thursday, a flush-out operation was carried out at Warima Songmagre, near Chokpot, about 66 km from Tura, where a heavy exchange of fire was reported between the militants and the security forces.
Police had claimed that two GNLA cadres sustained injuries in the firing but they managed to escape, following which police have launched a massive combing operation to trace the militants.
It was learnt that around 15-17 GNLA cadres were camping in the area , including two of their senior cadres – Jangjang and Kongsil – but the presence of a village with civilian households posed a hindrance to police operations.
As the security forces were approaching, the militants fired and the security forces retaliated, but the militants managed to escape.
Police recovered a cache of arms and ammunition which included two pistols, one shotgun, one Chinese-made grenade, 90 rounds of AKs, several empty cases and four mobile handsets.
