GNLA militant killed in Meghalaya gunfight

A Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militant, wanted to stand trial for several kidnappings and killings, was on Friday killed in a gunfight with the security forces in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills district, the state police said.

Acting on intelligence inputs, Swift Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos of the state police ambushed a group of 15 to 20 GNLA militants.

As the commandos approached the camp, they were fired upon, a police officer said.

In retaliatory fire, one of the militants who was in the camp was shot dead.

The killed militant was wanted to stand trial in kidnappings and killings of police personnel, East Garo Hills district police chief Davies Marak said.

An INSAS rifle, a grenade besides incriminating documents were recovered from the site of the gun battle and an operation is on to nab the other militants who fled, Marak said.

The GNLA, formed in 2010, has been active in Garo Hills and named as the prime accused in various cases of kidnapping, extortion and killing of both civilians and security forces.

--IANS

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