TURA, Dec 10 � Garo Hills police today busted a new militant group comprising hardcore cadres of a splinter group of a major outfit by shooting dead four militants and arresting five others early this morning at Gajingpara locality of Resubelpara town under Mendipather police station of East Garo Hills district.
Among the dead were the new group�s leader Jokin G Momin of Songsak who had fled a GNLA camp with a handful of his supporters to float the new militant outfit.
Acting on intelligence reports about the presence of a large group of suspected militants holed up in and around Mendipather area, security forces with assistance from the CRPF conducted search operations and managed to nab one militant from Mendipather area, who eventually led the forces to a house where the rest of the group�s members were staying at Gajingpara.
Gajingpara is close to Mendipather town and also has the residence of former Meghalaya Chief Minister Salseng C Marak.
The police teams swooped down on the hideout at approximately 3 am leading to a gunfight and resulting in the death of four militants and arrest of five others. One militant is suspected to have escaped with bullet injuries from the police onslaught. Police recovered three pistols from the scene of the encounter.
Police sources reveal that Jokin G Momin was one of the cadres in the first batch of recruits who completed arms training from the GNLA. He was with the outfit during its preliminary formation and also carried out operations for the group.
He fell out with Champion R Sangma, GNLA chairman and a former DSP, over the latter�s style of functioning. He fled the outfit�s camp with a handful of cadres recently to form a new group.
The cadres of the new outfit were moving around Mendipather area reportedly to get in touch with an Assam-based outfit for procurement of arms and training when the police overran their hideout.
