TURA: The elusive GNLA chief Sohan D Shira, who fled to Bangladesh in the month of June, has once again returned to the Garo Hills in an attempt to stem the spree of surrender of his leaders and cadres as the rebel group faces one of its worst exodus in its history.
A series of setbacks at the hands of Meghalaya police commandos in recent weeks has pushed the GNLA with its back to the wall with surrenders and encounter deaths plaguing the once formidable rebel organization that spread fear far and wide in Garo Hills.
Sohan was forced to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh following an encounter at Rongsu in South Garo Hills on the 27th of June during which his personal bodyguard Lukseng Ch Marak was killed and the elusive rebel leader himself barely managed to escape.
Police sources have revealed that during the Rongsu encounter a shot fired by police commandos narrowly missed Sohan and hit his computer laptop. He was able to escape but left behind the damaged laptop which was later recovered by police.
Together with the ULFA’s deputy commander-in-chief Drishti Rajkhowa (Manoj Rabha) they took refuge in Bangladesh to escape the heat turned on them by security forces inside the Garo Hills.
But the recent reverses appear to have compelled the rebel chief to return and take control of his command. A police raid at Gare Ringdi in Nangalbibra on August 1st led to the killing of a GNLA cadre by the name of Lastone while three others with injuries are said to have escaped by jumping off a cliff.
At the same time two GNLA cadres, Hemborne T Sangma alias Sling of Rapdikgre village and Morning A Sangma of Jadibazar, surrendered at Baghmara and Williamnagar, respectively.
The Meghalaya Director General of Police, Dr. S B Singh, while speaking to The Shillong Times said that sufficient forces have been deployed on ground for counter-insurgency operations against the GNLA and other groups.
“In additional to the existing commandos on the ground, we are inducting the newly passed out SF-10 personnel and another special group who have been trained with the Greyhound commandos of Andhra Pradesh that has been fighting against Maoist insurgency,” said the Meghalaya DGP.
He added that the counter-insurgency operations are being coordinated with the Border Security Force (BSF) since Sohan and his group have shelter points near the international border.