TURA: Armed men carrying an automatic rifle and small arms made a daring attack on traders doing brisk business at Gokulgre market, between Bajengdoba and Rari, looting shops of the day’s earnings on Sunday afternoon.
As many as seven men in camouflage uniforms with one carrying an AK rifle came down from the nearby jungles at around 1 pm and fired as many as ten rounds in the air to scare away the public.
The attack took place on a market which is located on the side of the National Highway 51 that connects Paikan in Assam all the way to Dalu in Garo Hills.
The armed men looted cash amounting to several thousand of rupees from the traders and also took away a large quantity of recharge coupons for mobile phones from one shop.
The armed men behind the looting are believed to be from the A’chik National Cooperative Army (ANCA), a rag tag group of dacoits having in their possession small arms, led by one Bryno.
However, North Garo Hills Police have informed that it was the handiwork of a group of criminals which included Bryno and one Dikka alias Babet who hails from Mendal region.
“Dikka was nearly lynched by villagers in Gokulgre a few weeks ago but managed to escape by brandishing a hand grenade which he threatened to detonate. At the time of his escape he had threatened to return and seek revenge,” informed North Garo Hills Police.
The Anogre to Bajengdoba stretch of the highway has become notorious for militant activities in the last three years with several incidents having taken place.
Last year GNLA rebels set on fire a Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) bus going from Tura to Shillong on the morning of June 4 at Dingrepa, not far from Gokulgre.
In 2012, a group of forest guards from Tripura who were coming to Tura on a study tour had their bus stopped by GNLA militants near Gokulgre. The militants held sway of the stretch for close to half an hour and even documented their exploits on video camera before allowing the bus and its frightened passengers to proceed.