Claymore mines, remote detonator found in Durama hills
TURA: The banned GNLA’s attempts at re-establishing its command structure in the Durama Hills of East Garo Hills was thwarted by Meghalaya Police.
Police launched a raid on a hideout of the militant chief Sohan D Shira on Wednesday morning. This time also Shira was successful in giving police a slip.
The raid led to the recovery of powerful claymore explosive mines and detonators including a remote controlled detonator.
Following intelligence reports about a large group of suspected GNLA militants regrouping in the jungles of Cherangre, 5 kms from Williamnagar town and across the Simsang river, police commandos launched a counter-insurgency operation at dawn.
As they were approaching the new makeshift camp of the GNLA at 7 AM, militant sentries perched atop hill tops spotted the raiding party and opened fire. The encounter carried on for several minutes before the ultras abandoned their hideout and disappeared into the forests.
GNLA chief Sohan D Shira is believed to have been present at the camp but escaped before the arrival of the police.
“This was probably Sohan’s camp since only his group is reported to be in the Durama hill range of East Garo Hills. Our sources revealed that Sohan was present in the camp but escaped much before police actually reached his hideout. At least one GNLA cadre was hit during the firing but despite his injury managed to escape with the rest of the group,” informed Meghalaya Inspector General of Police G H P Raju.
From the camp site police recovered three powerful claymore mines along with a remote controlled detonator, a double barrel shotgun, a SLR magazine with 18 live rounds, 121 numbers of electrical detonators, a walkie talkie handset and GNLA ID cards.
Police believe GNLA has used such remote operated IEDs during ambushes on police teams in both East and South Garo Hills districts.
Additional teams of commando units have been pressed into operation in the Durama Hills following Wednesday morning’s encounter.
Police suspect that Sohan Shira’s hideouts are gradually disappearing due to the ongoing Hill Storm operations launched by Meghalaya police since last year. He was earlier suspected to have fled to West Khasi Hills and then towards remote South Garo Hills before surfacing in the Cherangre jungles of the Durama Hills.