Shillong, Jan 11: A top commander of the outlawed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) was killed on Thursday when security forces raided his hideout in Meghalaya, police said.
Matchallang Sangma alias Vietnam, the deputy commander-in-chief of the GNLA, was killed in a gun battle when police burst into the makeshift jungle camp outside Bawe Duragre village, on the southern Bank of the Simsang river, 20 km from Williamnagar, the district headquarters of East Garo Hills.
“We launched an operation in the area based on a tip-off that some members of the group were taking shelter there,” district police officer Ringrang Momin, said.
The dead militant was a close-aide of Sohan D.Shira, the elusive GNLA military wing chief.
Sangma was wanted in several cases of extortion, kidnappings and murders in Garo Hills and parts of West Khasi Hills.
The Special Weapons and Tactics and SF-10 commandos are conducting a combing operation to flush out the militants.
An AK rifle along with ammunition, Chinese-made hand grenades, Bangladeshi currency notes and incriminating documents were recovered from the site, the officer said.
