Security forces launch massive ops against Garo outfit
Tura: A top militant leader of the Achik Matgrik Elite Force (AMEF) was killed on Saturday in a heavy gun battle with the security force in a remote village of Meghalaya’s North Garo Hills District.
The commander-in-chief AMEF, Jack Marak, was shot dead in an encounter with police in Kharkutta region.
Police commando teams from North and East Garo Hills district launched a joint operation on a camp of the AMEF chief at Mandadrop area of Kharkutta region at around 6:30 am.
“It was a makeshift camp having three dwelling places and there was a firefight between the militants and our police personnel in which the AMEF commander-in-chief was killed,” said North Garo Hills district police chief Ramesh Singh.
There were reportedly between eight to ten militants in the hideout when the police operation began and the holed up ultras are said to have opened up with heavy gunfire in response to the raid.
The hideout of the militants was is a densely forested area 10 kms south of Kharkutta.
The militants retreated into the forests after their leader fell to police bullets.
The body of the militant leader was identified by a former AMEF leader who had recently surrendered to police.
The encounter site yielded a cache of items including an AK 47 rifle with two magazines 13 cases and 49 live rounds of 7.62 ammunition believed to belong to the AMEF chief.
A 9 mm pistol with 4 live rounds, a magazine containing two live rounds of 7.62 pistol, 14 electronic detonators meant for IEDs, fuse wires and eight gelatin sticks together with demand notes, sim cards and a diary containing details of the group’s operations were also recovered from the encounter site.
A wanted criminal: Jack Marak was wanted in connection several cases ever since he joined the GNLA.
Born in a West Khasi Hills village called Adokgre he changed his name to Jack which was given to him by GNLA C-in-C Sohan D Shira. His committed a high profile criminal act in late 2011 when he abducted the Dadenggre BDO P K Boro from his office premises in broad daylight.
The officer was released on Christmas eve, several weeks later.
Soon after, another daring raid was orchestrated by GNLA under direction of Jack Marak in January when the armed rebels sneaked into the MeECL complex at Rongkhon, Tura, and kidnapped two young engineers hailing from Shillong and posted in Garo Hills.