From Our Correspondent
TURA: It was a providential escape for six police personnel travelling in a bullet proof truck when suspected GNLA militants triggered a powerful claymore IED blast at Nengkhra in East Garo Hills narrowly missing the vehicle on Wednesday morning.
This was the first such high intensity blast orchestrated by the outfit in the region.
The use of a command detonated and directional high powered explosive aimed at causing maximum damage to its target appears to have the blessings of the ULFA which has the expertise for such operations and also trains cadres of the GNLA in jungle camps inside Garo Hills.
The attack took place at around 8:30 am after the police truck (ML02-0756) left Nengkhra outpost with six personnel heading to Williamnagar, 13 kms away. About three kms into the journey a powerful blast shook the road close to the vehicle sending shrapnel in its direction.
It was the armor plating on the body that gave much needed protection to the occupants inside.
As soon as the blast occurred the driver of the vehicle floored the accelerator and sped away towards Williamnagar. The intensity of the blast was such that it sent boulders crashing down from a hill above onto the road.
As police teams swarmed the area they located the blast site and identified the explosive from its remains as a powerful claymore directional IED similar to an anti-personnel mine. They also retrieved another such device which failed to explode.
Both the explosives were planted sideways above the ground on either end of the culvert with the direction of the blast focused towards the centre of the road. “It was a claymore IED put on the roadside of the culvert. Two IEDs were placed but one did not explode. Our vehicle sustained slight damage but is in running condition,” said district police superintendent J F K Marak.
Police teams have recovered the second Claymore IED which failed to explode and also the flash gun of a camera which was used to detonate the first explosive.
Around 30 meters of fuse wire used to charge the firing mechanism was also retrieved from the site of the ambush.
Handiwork of GNLA special team: Wednesday morning’s IED blast on police in Nengkhra region of East Garo Hills was reportedly undertaken by a special militant team of the GNLA under direct operational command of its chief Sohan D Shira.
The attack, which failed to meet the militants requirements, was carried out to avenge the death of a senior leader and deputy area commander of its central command who was gunned down in a police operation at Bansamgre on July 19. Militant commander Pilon M Sangma alias Markus was a long time comrade of Sohan Shira and one of his most trusted aides in the militant hierarchy. Following his death at the hands of security forces, the GNLA chief had issued a stern warning of retaliation on police personnel to avenge the death.
Police sources believe that the group involved in the Claymore IED blast was specially handpicked by Sohan D Shira because a lot of training and experience is required in the handling of such powerful explosives.
