Two militants killed, four nabbed in Meghalaya

(IANS) Two militants were killed in a joint operation by the army and police and four militants were nabbed with a cache of explosives in two incidents in Meghalaya on Sunday, police said.

In the first incident, acting on a tip-off, a joint team of the 19 Dogra Regiment and Meghalaya Police intercepted the movement of unidentified Garo militants in and around Pach Kilo area in North Garo Hills district.

Pach Kilo area is about 300 km west of state capital Shillong.

The militants fired at the security forces, triggering a gunfight in which two unidentified militants were killed, Inspector General of Police G.H.P. Raju told IANS.

Two pistols and rounds of ammunition, a mobile handset with 3 SIM cards and several documents and medicines were recovered from the site.

In the second incident, four militants of the Assam-based National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Songbijit (NDFB-S) faction were arrested on Sunday morning in the state’s East Jaintia Hills district.

A large quantity of explosive materials was recovered from them.

The Bodoland militants – Santosh Kharkekary alias K. Shimang, Bolashi Boro, Gambor Gayari and Deimalu Basumatary – were arrested by a joint police team from Assam and Meghalaya, Raju said.

Baisa Deb Verma, was also arrested for supplying 144 gelatin sticks and 126 detonators, has been arrested from Byndihati area, the police official added.