TURA: The banned GNLA which had planned to establish a new command and training centre in the remote and densely forested Chitmang Hills of South Garo Hills has been foiled by police who destroyed the structures on Friday after a gun battle since the previous afternoon.
Police commandos scouting the Rewak region to identify safe havens of the GNLA came across three militants from the advance party of the outfit late Thursday afternoon.
The area is close to Balpakram national park.
The three ultras are said to have been doing a recee of the area from a hilltop when they spotted the police commandos below and opened fire.
“They were entrenched on a hill top of Chitmang and firing on our personnel who also retaliated. One cadre was hit on the abdomen,” informed district police chief Anand Mishra.
The militants reportedly stopped firing after their colleague was hit and carried him away.
Following the arrival of reinforcements and a search of the area, police found the site of a new camp being prepared to house as many as thirty cadres.
The militants had cleared the area and several huts were under construction to prepare the new camp.
Police say that the new camp was to house deputy commander in chief Rupanto Marak alias Thoding and his men who were taking shelter some distance from the advance team who exchanged fire with the police commandos.
The camp was destroyed on Friday and some items including a trigger mechanism for a rifle and a battery recharger were seized.
