Meghalaya on alert after rebel threat
July 17th, 2011 - 10:46 pm ICT by IANSShillong, July 17 (IANS) Security forces were put on high alert in Meghalaya Sunday after Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) rebels threatened to carry out serial blasts across the state, police said.
The rebels said they will bomb places like Bara Bazaar, Police Bazaar, Tura market and others if the government did not withdraw central forces from Garo Hills.
GNLA’s threat came after two units of Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) commandos and five companies of Border Security Force (BSF) troopers were deployed in the Garo Hills region.
“There is no question of withdrawing the troops or suspending our combing operation against them. Instead, we will intensify our operations,” S.K. Jain, the intelligence chief of Meghalaya Police, told IANS.
An alert has been sounded across the state, he added.
The GNLA, one of the five Garo rebel groups, is fighting for a sovereign ‘Garoland’.
More than 10 people, including security personnel, have been killed in the Garo Hills during the last one year by GNLA rebels.
The outfit, headed by police officer-turned-outlaw, Champion R. Sangma, had earlier slapped extortion demands ranging from Rs.5 lakh to Rs.1 crore on government officials, ministers, legislators and businessmen.
The Garo Hills region is being used as a safe haven for various northeast-based militant groups.
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- Elite force to tackle Meghalaya rebels - Jul 10, 2011
- Garo rebels demand withdrawal of central forces - Aug 04, 2011
- Meghalaya launches operation to rescue abducted official - Nov 22, 2011
- Three Garo rebels surrender in Meghalaya - Jul 24, 2011
- Meghalaya examining GNLA activities ahead of ban - Jul 21, 2011
- Rebels free Meghalaya official after 34 days - Dec 24, 2011
- Garo rebels target police party, no casualties - Apr 27, 2012
- Meghalaya rebels set conditions for releasing official - Nov 23, 2011
- GNLA sets conditions to free abducted engineers - Jan 28, 2012
- Chidambaram assures central help to Meghalaya - Jul 07, 2011
- GNLA rebels, forces exchange fire in Meghalaya - Mar 02, 2012
- Will not withdraw forces from Garo Hills: Sangma - Dec 06, 2011
- Rebel shutdown hits life in Meghalaya - Sep 12, 2011
- Fierce gunfight between Garo rebels, commandos - Jan 28, 2012
Tags: bazaar, border security force, bsf, combat battalion, commandos, crore, extortion, garo hills, intelligence chief, lakh, meghalaya, militant groups, national liberation army, rebel groups, rebel threat, rs 1, safe haven, security personnel, shillong, state police