Garo militants gun down 5 labourers in Meghalaya

Five labourers were gunned down by suspected Garo militants in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills district early today.

Around nine armed Garo National Liberation Army militants barged into the Gokha coal depot, about 10 km from Baghmara, the district headquarter town, and opened indiscriminate fire from AK 47 rifles at around 1.45am, police said.

Four of the labourers - Rambadan Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Suhagin and Habibul from Assam and Nur Mohammad from Meghalaya - were killed on the spot, they said.

Another labourer - Jamin from Assam - succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, while Rakib Miya, also from Assam, who sustained bullet injuries in the thigh - was rushed to Tura Civil Hospital.

The bodies were taken to Tura, the district headquarter town of neighbouring West Garo Hills district.

Locals said the reason for the attack could be extortion, while police felt it could be aimed at creating fear among the public by the nascent militant outfit floated by a deserter deputy superintendent of police Champion Sangma.

Security forces have rushed to the spot and a combing operation has been launched to nab the militants.