TURA: South Garo Hills police have conducted a controlled explosion of a powerful remote controlled bomb planted by suspected GNLA militants spotted by a road clearance party of the police on Tuesday.
Police teams were sanitizing the Chokpot to Tura road for possible booby traps and ambush spots when they came across a nine kg improvised explosive device placed on the side of the road at Daji Badima.
The bomb was detected at around 2:30 pm and the entire stretch had to be cordoned off with vehicles prevented from passing through until the bomb squad arrived late evening.
The police were unable to defuse the bomb since it was a remote controlled explosive device.
A suspected GNLA cadre identified as Krenish M Sangma of Dendamgre village was arrested for planting the device.
According to police, he alleged that the device was handed over to him by GNLA commander and explosive expert Hedeo alias Cellopa.
Police informed that militants planned to target the police vehicles and VIPs through the route.
The controlled detonation of the explosive took place close to 8 pm in the night and the blast created a huge crater.
GNLA militants have recently been spotted moving through several remote areas of Garo Hills in search of possible targets.
On Sunday night, intelligence inputs indicated the presence of a nine member heavily armed GNLA group in Nepali Mandir at Nangalbibra, South Garo Hills.
When police forces rushed to the site, they were fired upon by the ultras who later fled into the jungles.
