Four abducted Meghalaya traders rescued, one militant killed

Four traders kidnapped by militants in Meghalaya were Thursday rescued following a gun battle with their abductors, police said.

During the firefight in West Garo Hills district, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos killed one of the abductors, district police chief Mukesh Kumar Singh told IANS over phone.

The traders were abducted Wednesday from a place near Kantanagre village in the district while they were on their way to a weekly market.

"G. Sheikh, Shah Alom, Ajgar Ali and Musaddar Ali were rescued in Darekgre area from the clutches of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) and United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA)," the police officer said.

One of the abductors identified as Dharma Kanta Rai of the ULFA was killed, Singh said, adding that a combing operation is on to arrest other abductors.

Police recovered one AK rifle along with two magazines, one 7.65mm pistol and a huge cache of ammunition from the gunfight site.

The GNLA, one of the five Garo rebel groups in the state, is fighting for a separate Garoland. The group is believed to have links with the ULFA and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland.