By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 26: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday said the state government cannot ignore reports on the possibility of militants regrouping in Meghalaya, given the changing situation in neighbouring Bangladesh.
He, however, cautioned against jumping to conclusions, stressing that while intelligence inputs continue to flow in, these must undergo strict verification before any assessment of regrouping can be confirmed.
Sangma said the situation has become more critical because of developments across the border, which are altering the dynamics of security in the region.
He said that the conditions in Bangladesh are not the same as last year and that new activities and patterns have begun to emerge. He did not delve into the specifics, citing national security concerns.
“We cannot conclude that 100% regrouping is happening, but we are getting intel about movements,” he said.
He explained that intelligence inputs frequently reach the authorities, but many of these later turn out to involve local criminal gangs or dacoits rather than organised militant networks.
Sangma said such inputs are received regularly, and while they cannot be dismissed outright, they cannot establish the existence of regrouping either on their own.
He said only a part of a recent statement by the Director General of Police was picked up in reports to create an impression that the militants were regrouping. “The DGP was trying to say that we have been getting inputs, but the whole picture was not shown,” he said.
