TURA: There were only 10 militants with GNLA chief Sohan D Shira on the day he was killed in a gunbattle with police and the outfit’s firepower is dwindling fast with one of the cadres even carrying an air gun, a surrendered rebel said on Wednesday.
Despite speculation about regrouping of the rebels under the leadership of ULFA chief Dristi Rajkhowa, a 25-year-old GNLA cadre surrendered without arms before district SP R T G Momin at Williamnagar on Wednesday afternoon.
Panseng R Sangma is from Cherangre village and had joined the rebel outfit on February 2. Panseng was among the 10 militants who were accompanying Sohan on the day he was killed in a gunbattle with the police.
He has given a complete breakdown of the outfit’s armament currently in possession with the rest of the group. Leading the pack is the ULFA deputy commander in chief and bomb expert Manoj Rabha alias Dristi Rajkhowa who is said to have in his possession a powerful AK-56 rifle with two magazines.
The most senior GNLA cadre in the group is identified as Rahul from Rongregre village under Williamnagar police station. Rahul is said to be carrying a foreign made Glok pistol with 10 live rounds of ammunition.
The other members are Bilwal with an SLR rifle and 14 rounds, Newak with an AK 47 and a magazine, Wilam carrying an AK 56 rifle with 21 live rounds, Kubert in possession of a 9 mm pistol with 2 magazines, Churik with a small machine gun (SMG), Chonbat with a .303 bolt action rifle having 30 rounds and one Roben who was provided with an air gun to hunt for birds.
According to the surrendered cadre he had been asked to stay out along with another cadre at the makeshift camp high up on the hills of Dobu while Sohan and the others descended to a stream below to have bath.
Panseng had gone to relieve himself outside the camp when the first gunshots were heard leading to the launch of the police commandos raided that killed Sohan. The frightened ultra abandoned everything and fled. He got in touch with church leaders seeking their intervention to surrender to police.
With the killing of Sohan, Meghalaya police believe the backbone of the most dreaded rebel group has been broken and expect the remaining cadres to soon surrender.
