TURA: The rebel behind a string of killings and abductions who spread fear in the remote villages of Garo Hills been, was shot dead by Meghalaya police commandos in a dawn raid in the jungles of East Garo Hills.
The killing of Matchallang M Sangma alias Vietnam in a jungle encounter at Bawe Duragre village, at 10 kms aerial distance from Williamnagar, is being seen by police as a devastating blow to the operations of the GNLA rebel outfit.
“He (Matchallang) was taking direct orders from Sohan D Shira and was very close to him. His killing is a severe blow to the GNLA and the writing is clear on the wall for the GNLA,” a confident Meghalaya DGP S B Singh told The Shillong Times following the successful operation by the state police.
Hailing from Nengmaldalgre village, close to the home of Sohan Shira, the action commander was operating in and around Bawe Duragre area for the past few days. The armed rebels numbering 13 were staying in a makeshift camp in the forests when police launched a raid leading to his killing.
The operations continued to locate a few cadres who are believed to have sustained bullet injuries in the heavy exchange of fire that lasted for several minutes.
“The firing was very intense for several minutes and some of the militants who sustained injuries managed to escape. We are on the lookout for them,” said East Garo Hills SP, R T G Momin.
Besides an AK-56 rifle with live ammunition and Chinese grenades, police also recovered three kgs of gelatin sticks used for explosives and a Claymore box to prepare improvised explosive device.
Following the mass surrenders of top leaders of the outfit, GNLA chief Sohan D Shira had appointed Matchallang as the action commander and promoted him as deputy commander-in-chief.
As action commander he undertook a path of violence targeting surrendered GNLA members and led an execution squad to the home of surrendered GNLA finance secretary Rakkam D Shira at Williamnagar and shot him dead, last year.
His last known execution was that of another surrendered militant by the name of Kamdak, last month.
Police had long been on his trail as the elusive action commander used to shift base frequently from West Khasi Hills to Siju-Rongara in South Garo Hills and then to the southern banks of the Simsang river in east Garo Hills.
From Rongara area the rebel leader took away an elderly villager, Orget R Marak, and killed him in cold blood, last year, accusing the deceased of being a police informer.
He went on to kidnap two village Nokmas in quick succession from Rongding A’we in South Garo Hills and Reangdim in West Khasi Hills. Both were released only after paying ransom to the outfit.
With the death of Matchallang, the GNLA supremo Sohan D Shira no longer has any senior commander to undertake operations at his instance. Police sources revealed that Sohan was having less than fifty rebels many of whom are young recruits still at the nascent stage of training.
Sohan spends Christmas at home
The elusive GNLA chief Sohan D Shira has once again dared security forces on the lookout for him as he daringly visited his native village of Sasatgre-Nengmandalgre during this Christmas holidays, intelligence sources reveal.
To further anger the security forces, the GNLA chief even posted a facebook picture of himself in full battle fatigues standing with the rest of his family at his home.