TURA: The ASAK rebels led by former GNLA commander Reding T Sangma kidnapped nine traders from Assam who were on their way to a weekly market at Dumnikura in South Garo Hills on Friday morning.
This is the second kidnapping case in a span of a month. On September 29, nine traders from Assam’s Mankachar were kidnapped from near Chokpot in South Garo Hills.
The setback to the security apparatus comes less than two days after police in the district busted a hideout of a breakaway GNLA faction at Nangalbibra killing one rebel and seizing a huge cache of weapons.
The traders kidnapped on Friday were also from Mankachar. They were travelling in a mini truck to the local weekly market when six rebels stopped the vehicle near Dumnikura around 8am and took them hostage, police said.
The rebels had initially picked 10 traders but let one go as he was a small-time trader and would not have been able to pay ransom.
The driver of the vehicle who was also allowed to go said one of the rebels had a “large firearm”, possibly an AK-47 rifle, while others were carrying pistols.
A combing operation has been launched to rescue the kidnapped traders.
