PTI
SHILLONG, August 22
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hree armed militants were shot dead and one person was injured in an encounter in Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills district today during ‘Operation ‘Hill Storm’ launched to flush out militants from their hideouts in the jungle, police said.
“Two Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) operatives and an Ulfa operative were shot dead during an early morning raid in their camps in Songma Enggok area,” Inspector General of Police (Operations) G H P Raju said.
He said several militants were suspected to have been injured in the shootout which took place at around 6:30am. A civilian was also injured when a stray bullet hit him.Acting on a tip off on the presence of several militants in the camp under Williamnagar police station, security forces conducted a raid and were fired upon reaching near the camp, district SP Davis Marak said.
In retaliation, Karamchan and Werang of the GNLA were shot dead. The Ulfa cadre is yet to be identified, he said.
Several arms and ammunition including a self-loading rifle and two pistols, besides incriminating documents were recovered from the site of the encounter, the SP said.
The raid was part of a special ‘Operation Hill Storm’ launched a month ago to flush out militants from the jungle, Raju, who oversees the operation, said.
The operation which will last for at least another two months was termed as one of the most successful one against militants in Western Meghalaya in which four GNLA camps were busted by the security forces.
Around 25 militants belonging to GNLA, ULFA, ASAK, and other militant groups were arrested from various hideouts. Eight weapons, 220 rounds of ammunition, five rocket launcher shells and other explosive materials were recovered during the last one month, the IGP added.
