TURA, MAR 10: A day after Meghalaya governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said the state government was open to dialogue with militant groups – GNLA and HNLC- but they must eschew violence, four policemen were killed and two others injured in an alleged GNLA ambush at Panda Reserve, near Rongara in Meghalaya’s South Garo hills district on Tuesday. Rongara is about 15 km from Baghmara, the district headquarter of South Garo hills.
The police were traveling in a gypsy when the militants ambushed the security forces. Sub-inspector Sombatsing K Sangma, three constables Lenin Ch. Marak, Tangseng Arengh and Hemingstone Marak were killed.
Two other police personnel were injured in the ambush. They have been identified as Arpon Marak and Baiti Sangma of 3rd Meghalaya police battalion. Police said that the rebels snatched one AK, two INSAS and one 9 mm pistol from the security personnel.
Police strongly suspected it to be handiwork of the GNLA. The outfit is yet to claim responsibility for the ambush.
On Monday the GNLA had called 12-hour bandh across Garo hills.
Six militants of the outfit allegedly opened fire at a school in Rabhagre village near Tikrikilla in West Garo Hills during the bandh . The outfit had called the bandh to protest allegedly “police highhandedness” and “fake encounter.”
But the GNLA has given an indefinite bandh call in Ampati constituency, which is represented by Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma. The bandh imposed by the outfit had affected a good number of students, appearing various board examinations.
In several militant ambushes last year, over eight police personnel were killed. In the last five years, over 1,000 cases of crime against militants have been registered in the state. Last year, over 230 cases
were registered.- From Our Correspondent
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