A senior Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militant responsible for the attack on a police party killing five of them last year, was today shot dead in an encounter with the police during a counter insurgency operation in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills district, the police said.
Acting on a tip off, operation was launched by the specially trained anti-insurgency commandos of the state police near Khakwa Duragre village in which the militant was shot dead, while resisting the police's attempts to capture their camp, IG (Operations) G H P Raju said.
As soon as the team approach the makeshift camp, there was heavy exchange of fire in the jungles of Durama hills range resulting in the death of a senior GNLA self-styled sergeant identified as Kennedy T Sangma alias Hebel, he said.
Two AK-47 riffles and a Draganov sniper rifle along with 24 live AK rounds and an AK empty case, two live 7.62 Draganov sniper rifle rounds and four mobiles sets were recovered from the spot, Raju said.
According to the district police, at least five heavily armed cadres were present at the camp during the raid and there was resistance for at least ten minutes before police could break them up.
Hebel belonged to the second batch of the outfit and was earlier Area Commander of South Garo Hills Chockpot and also in West Khasi Hills beside holding charge as commander of the action group-Eagle Hunters team of the outfit, responsible for ambush.
He was earlier arrested in Chockpot, but managed to escape from the Tura District Jail and was recently promoted by as sergeant.
Hebel's body was shifted to Williamnagar civil hospital for post mortem.
