Militants kill 6 policemen in Meghalaya

GUWAHATI: Tribal militants suspected to be members of Achik National Volunteers Council of Meghalaya killed six policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police, in South Garo Hills of Meghalaya in an ambush on Monday.
According to police sources, the incident took place at about 1.00 pm when a police party under DSP Pechon A Sangma was heading towards Bebraguri and the militants started firing bullets from automatic weapons from a hill top next to the road and also lobbed four grenades at the vehicle, setting the vehicle on fire.
The driver of the vehicle, S Dhar, who also got bullet injuries, lost control of the vehicle and the burning vehicle rolled down the gorge, killing the occupants.
Constable W Lyngdoh was admitted to civil hospital Tura after he sustained bullet injuries on shoulder.
The others who were killed besides the DSP and the driver in the ambush include constable C W Nongsiej, Cont. Sohinson Marak, R L Kynshi and J Marak. The police have recovered the bodies of those killed and their post-mortem has also been carried out.
Police officers said they suspect militants of NDFB and NSCN (IM) may also be involved in the attack. Senior police officers have rushed to the spot and combing operations have been launched in the area.
DSP Pechon A Sangma was on the hit list of the militants for his dare-devil operations against the militants as he had a major role in busting the Southern Command Headquarter of ANVC at Rewak and was also instrumental in the arrest of some of the ANVC cadres in his area.
This is the second major operation by the militants in this area. On August 13, the militants had killed 13 labourers and traders while they were traveling in a truck to attend a weekly bazaar at Tikrikilla in South Garo Hills.
The area is now being used by most of the militants operating in Assam and Nagaland for traveling to Bangladesh. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has been time and again pleading for strong action against these militants, who, after carrying out operation in India, cross over to their camps in Bangladesh.