TURA: Security forces on Thursday busted a joint makeshift of the outlawed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) and the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in Meghalaya, killing three militants on the spots.
Based on a tip-off, Meghalaya’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos raided the hideout situated at Songma Enggok area under Arbela range in East Garo Hills.
In the nearly half-an-hour-long gun battle, which began at around 6:30 am, security forces were able to kill three militants one of whom is suspected to be ‘Karamchand’ an ULFA militant, informed District police Chief, Davis Nestell Marak. According to Marak, there were around 40 militants in the camp including Williamnagar area Commander, Jimmy Momin who managed to give them the slip.
“We know that Jimmy was in the camp although he managed to escape. He was in fact the camp commander,” he said adding it was likely that many of them might have sustained bullet injuries going by the blood trails left at the encounter site.
According to him, the militants, who had their permanent camp in the Duram Hill Range, entered the region and were holed up in the makeshift camp due to intensive flush out operations being carried out by the security forces there. Meanwhile, during search operation of the encounter site, police recovered one SLR along with 5 magazines, a 7.65 pistol with 3 magazines, one 9 mm pistol along with a magazine, 2 detonators, incriminating documents, 5 SIM cards, 3 mobile phones, 2 wireless handsets, and camouflage sets along with personnel belongings of the militants.