TURA, May 26 � East Garo Hills police in a major offensive against the banned terror outfit Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) on Saturday busted their general headquarters after a heavy gun battle.
Police SWAT forces together with CRPF�s CoBRA unit attacked the general camp of the outfit near Sobokgre village, 16 kms from Williamnagar. The ultras numbering around 60 returned fire using RPG rockets, hand grenades and AK rifles prompting the police to use two inch mortars and heavy weaponry.
After heavy firing for more than 15 minutes, the militants escaped with all their weapons and police dismantled the camp which could house as many as 100 ultras. The chief of the outfit, Sohan D Shira, was also in the camp at the time of the attack along with a fresh batch of recruits.
The militants were planning to hold a major conference of its area commanders at the camp and almost all senior leaders wanted by police for heinous crimes were arriving for the meeting when police attacked forcing them to flee to the thick jungles of Durama hill range.
Police found large stacks of food items and utensils at the camp. The breakthrough comes just a day after two senior cadres of the GNLA southern command surrendered to West Garo Hills police at Dalu border town.
They had rebelled against the outfit�s command and blamed the senior leaders of the command for living luxurious lives while the junior cadres led a hard life in the jungles.
�They have revealed that the senior leaders use to enjoy a life of luxury collecting huge sums of money while the juniors are given just the bare requirements amounting to a few hundred rupees each month leading to widespread unhappiness,� Garo Hills police said.
