Traders rescued, ULFA (I) cadre killed
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Shillong, June 26 2014:
Acting swiftly after the kidnapping of four traders on Wednesday morning from the Dadenggre area of Garo Hills in Meghalaya, the police personnel of West Garo Hills (WGH) got into action mode and rescued the four traders in the early hours of Thursday.
They were rescued unharmed from the clutches of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) and United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) from a remote location in West Garo Hills and in the process one ULFA(I) cadre was killed in the resultant encounter that lasted more than 20 minutes.
The four traders were abducted Wednesday, when they were on their way to the Dadenggre weekly market from Chibinang in West Garo Hills in a pick-up truck.
They were stopped at Kantanangre about 4 kms from Dadeng and then taken from there at gunpoint.
Dadeng is about 45 kms from the town of Tura.
Referring to the operation to rescue the four from militant captivity, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of WGH, Mukesh Singh said, "We had solid inputs about the abductors and intensified our operations on Thursday from 6:30 am and managed to zero down the hideout out at Darekgre, near Rongmasugre village and rescue the traders at around 9:30 am" .
Police sources said that they were noticed by the two sentries on duty, who fired at them.
The police returned fire and in the exchange, one ULFA (I) cadre was killed while the others managed to flee, leaving the traders behind.
An operation to nab the rest of the abductors is still on while adding that the 4 captives were being taken towards the Damal Asim region.
The slain ULFA (I) cadre has been identified as Dharma Kanta Rai, who is popularly known to the GNLA as 'Garo champa' .
"Rai was an IED expert and was used by the outfit to target police movement.