The Meghalaya police today claimed a breakthrough in countering militancy in the western Garo Hills region with top leaders of the AMEF militant outfit surrendering here.
AMEF chairman Timut Marak of Nongshram village in East Garo Hills, self-styled C-in-C Sengjan Arengh and a juvenile surrendered before DGP Rajiv Mehta depositing arms and ammunition.
The group, which was formed after a split in proscribed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), had around 60 members at first until it got broken into three smaller groups recently, Marak told reporters.
At least 12 other smaller militant outfits were also operating in the Garo Hills region, noted for being the hotbed of militancy in the state, IG (Operations) G H P Raju said.
Since January, Raju said the police have shot dead 39 militants, arrested 218 of them and 54 surrendered besides, seizing 78 arms and 837 ammo besides RDX grenades and detonators.
In the past 11 months, 18 civilians and seven police personnel were killed and 31 persons were injured in many incidents involving militants, Raju said adding, 109 persons were reported abducted including one police personnel.
