IB officer murder accused killed in Meghalaya

Shillong, Feb 15 (IANS) Meghalaya’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos have killed a leader of a militant outfit involved in the kidnapping and murder of an Intelligence Bureau officer and a cloth merchant, police said on Monday.

The commandos shot dead Sengbath D. Shira, a senior member of the A’chik Songna An’pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) militant outfit, on Sunday in Kemdang village in South Garo Hills district, bordering Bangladesh, Inspector General of Police (Operations) G.H.P. Raju told IANS.

However, six or seven militants escaped after a brief exchange of fire.

"The combing operation is still on in the area and other adjoining areas to track the escaped militants," Raju said.

Shira was wanted by Meghalaya Police for the kidnapping and killing of Intelligence Bureau officer Bikash Singh and cloth merchant Kamal Saha on September 24, 2015, besides for his involvement in several extortion and abduction cases in the insurgency-ravaged districts of Garo Hills region.

ASAK militants kidnapped Singh and Saha, when they were travelling in a public vehicle towards Baghmara from Rongara. The two bodies were recovered a month later.

In the recent past, Meghalaya Police have arrested three militants for their involvement in the killing of Singh and Saha and burying their bodies.

"We are still tracking the movement of the other ASAK militants involved directly and indirectly in the killings," Raju said.

ASAK is a breakaway faction of the Garo National Liberation Army, a terrorist outfit and was formerly known as the GNLA(F).