Police recover 16 more IEDs from GNLA camp
TURA: Police commandos have overrun the main GNLA camp where elusive militant chief Sohan D Shira had been housed but failed to nab him during a second day of raids on the GNLA stronghold in the Durama Hills, 15 km from Williamnagar.
The second day of raids led to recovery of another 16 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) bringing the total to 63 IEDs and 11 petrol bombs from the vicinity of three militant camps. The latest seizure was from the camp of the militant chief of GNLA located not far from the Dorengkigre-Pathalgre-Adogre area.
On Thursday SWAT commandos raided two GNLA camps near Dorengkigre, belonging to ‘deputy chief’ Toding Marak alias Rupanto and self-styled ‘sergeant’ Sacheng. They initially recovered 45 IEDs and another two more concealed in another spot bringing the total to 47 explosives and 11 petrol bombs.
During Friday’s raids the police teams launched an attack on the main camp where Sohan D Shira had his command structure and ran his militant army. The camp was said to be heavily fortified with reinforced bunkers and sentry posts and was located just about a kilometer from the two other camps which had been busted by security forces, a day earlier.
According to police sources, the raiding team had to fire under barrel grenade launchers (UBGL) towards the camp to take out any potential threat from militants who were holed up inside.
However, the militants had escaped before the troops set foot in the perimeter of the camp and Sohan is believed to have silently slipped away before security forces were within firing range of their jungle hideout.
By the time the commandos entered the camp the ultras had disappeared with all their weapons and other armaments leaving behind personnel items such as clothes, utensils and food material.
According to police, the camp was well established on a hilltop that had been cleared and could house several dozen men.
The approach to the camp was reportedly laid with booby traps and IEDs to shield the inmates from any potential threat of police attack.
Police found that the hilltop camp of the GNLA chief was surrounded with dense forests on all sides and was guarded by several smaller camps of the outfit. Two of the camps busted on Thursday were part of the security ring meant to protect and shield Sohan’s headquarters, it was reported.