WILLIAMNAGAR, July 11 � The fight between the police and the banned Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) continued in the East Garo Hills region with a camp of the militant group attacked early morning today.
A team of SWAT and COBRA commandos mounted an attack on the camp following information that a large group of militants were present in Adugre, about 20 kms from Williamnagar. One cadre of the outfit was killed in the encounter.
According to SP, EGH, Davies Marak, �We had specific information on the presence of the militants, including the Commander in Chief of the outfit, Sohan D Shira and thus launched an operation early this morning�.
More than a dozen cadres of the outfit were said to be at the camp at the time of the attack. The camp has been destroyed.
Police sources said one personal security officer (PSO) of the C-in-C was killed. The team has not been able to identify the body. Though details of the operations are sketchy, the SP said that quite a few arms and ammunition have been recovered.
Some IEDs, a rocket, grenades, pistols, ammunition, GNLA flags as well as GNLA pads were recovered from the camp.
PTI adds: The chairman of outlawed GNLA, Sohan D Shira escaped the raid by security forces in his hideout early this morning, but his personal security guard was killed in the encounter in the Durama Hills range.
The police said Shira who was in the camp managed to flee as his PSO covered for his escape into the thick jungle.
A search operation was launched in the jungle to trace the assailants.
Shira founded the GNLA in 2010 and since then the outfit was involved in kidnapping, extortion and killing of civilians as well as security forces.
The GNLA was also responsible for blowing off the head of a woman last month after she resisted an alleged molestation and rape attempt. The outfit later owned up to the killing of the 35-year-old woman alleging her to be a police informer. � PTI
