6 Police injured in ambush

PTI | 08:12 PM,Dec 20,2011

Shillong, Dec 20 (PTI) Six policemen were today injured in an ambush by suspected GNLA militants in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills District this evening, police said. The incident took place late afternoon at Baijja, three km away from the district headquarter, Williamnagar, they said. Armed police personnel were escorting a team of bamboo cutters when 15 to 20 heavily armed GNLA (Garo National Liberation Army) cadre ambushed the escort team and fired at the cops, police said. Both sides exchanged fire for over 15 minutes in which six police personnel were injured. The injured policemen were taken to the Williamnagar Civil hospital for medical treatment. Two of the injured suffered shoulder and hip wounds while the injury to the rest was not serious. The GNLA is most active in Meghalaya's Garo Hills district at present and responsible for extortion and abduction in the coal belts in Garo hills. On December 18, two armed GNLA rebels were shot dead in an encounter with a police team at Damagre village, about 5 km from Williamnagar. Two grenades, a pistol and documents including identity cards of the cadre were recovered from their possession, police said. The outfit, led by a deserter Meghalaya Police Deputy Superintendent of Police, Champion Sangma had also carried out a number of kidnappings over the last few months and slapped extortion demands on traders and government officials, besides killing policemen and labourers.