Barely 48 hours after killing seven civilians in Assam’s Goalpara district, suspected Garo National liberation Army (GNlA) militants on Tuesday ambushed a police team killing five of them on the spot in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills district.
Police said that heavily armed GNlA militants first triggered an explosion at the police vehicle, which was on its way to Tura, and then started indiscriminate firing on the policemen. After the incident, the militants also took away three AK 47 rifles and a carbine from the policemen, police said.
Police said that the incident took place around 11 am in Bangjakona. The deceased officers were identified as — R Ch Sangma, l Ryngklem, D Marak, Bipul Rabha and M Nongdhar — all from Third Meghalaya Police Battalion.
“The militants have started the offensive as retaliation to the recent intensification of operations against them,” police said, adding that the group of GNlA militants had also been involved in killing the seven civilians in Assam’s Goalpara district on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the Assam Government deployed nine columns of the Army and 28 battalions of additional forces in Goalpara district after the Sunday’s gory killing by the GNlA militants.
The Assam Police and security forces, in association with the Meghalaya Police, have also intensified operations against the GNlA militants, who have a strong presence along the Assam-Meghalaya border. The Goalpara district administration had also imposed night curfew along the Assam-Meghalaya border.