SHILLONG: The ongoing Operation Hill Storm-III in Garo Hills has been successful in dislodging GNLA ‘commander-in-chief’ Sohan D. Shira from Durama Hills and he along with his trusted lieutenants have gravitated towards South Garo Hills, police reports have claimed.
There have also been some rumours about his escape to Bangladesh, but senior police officers, when contacted, refrained from divulging any details.
Strangely both police and GNLA have been keeping quiet on the media front and there seems to be a war of nerves going on between the two.
According to sources, both the police and militants are at crossroads.
A close look at the Operation Hill Storm-III in Garo Hills indicates that both the police and militants are very delicately poised at this moment.
The police had major successes when they arrested some prominent cadres of GNLA which led to the unearthing of a record number of IEDs numbering more than 70 in East Garo Hills and North Garo Hills.
However, the militants retaliated when a truck ferrying policemen and CRPF was ambushed with a claymore lED at Bokchung in West Khasi Hills last month and the civilian driver of the vehicle was killed on the spot.
Police also had tasted success in North Garo Hills when a local area commander Walnang T. Sangma @ Balti was killed in an encounter last month.
Police have also mopped a large number of over ground workers and hardcore GNLA cadres in East Garo Hills, South Garo Hills and Shallang area of West Khasi Hills district.
According to a senior police official, the militants seem to have been beleaguered by the fact that though there have been talks about the negotiations, nothing concrete has emerged.
Surrender, negotiation dilemma
It is believed that a number of senior commanders of GNLA want to come over ground and have been in contact with some religious leaders, but they are apprehensive about the tactics which may be adopted by the government or police.
When senior police officers were contacted, they refused to comment on negotiations but informed that surrenders were always welcome. They also assured that if any GNLA cadre surrenders, government is committed not only to accept the surrender but also try its maximum to rehabilitate the surrendered cadres.
Police officers also pointed out to the record number of surrenders which took place in 2015.
To a query as to how long the Operation Hill Storm-III will continue, the police officers were non-committal but stressed that police were determined to fight an all out battle with the militants.
They are also hopeful that SF-IO commandos undergoing training at present will soon join the counter insurgency operations and this will give impetus to their fight against militants.
In the context, police said that GNLA militants seem to be caught in the dilemma on whether to surrender or negotiate.
