TURA: A local trader sustained a bullet injury when armed gunmen opened fire on the vehicle he was travelling in at Oragitok, on the Tura-Williamnagar road, on Wednesday morning.
The incident took place around 10:30am when traders who had gone to sell their wares at Chinabat weekly market were returning in a mini truck towards Rongram.
As the vehicle was crossing Oragitok towards Rongram, four armed men tried to flag down the vehicle. On seeing the armed men the driver floored the accelerator and sped past them which prompted the men to open fire. Local trader Jingjang J. Sangma (20) who happened to be part of the group of traders in the vehicle was the lone casualty of the militants attack. He sustained a bullet injury on his left hand. Despite the attack the vehicle pushed on and arrived at Rongram police outpost from where the injured trader was rushed to Tura civil hospital for medical treatment.
West Garo Hills Police suspect the incident to be the handiwork of local dacoits working at the behest of GNLA militants. Police inform that a shotgun was used to fire on the passing vehicle when the driver refused to stop.
The armed men had planned to abduct the traders for ransom, police added.