Date
|
Place
|
Incident
|
Nature of incident
|
February 19
|
Samanda Kalsanang Adinggittim
village / West Garo Hills District
|
A cadre of LAEF, identified as Rosthon N Marak
alias Kimjim, who orchestrated several kidnappings in East Garo
Hills was arrested after Police raided his house in Samanda
Kalsanang Adinggittim village in West Garo Hills District. The
arrested cadre belonged to the LAEF faction headed by one Augustine
and at one point of time was behind several kidnappings of traders
and businessmen including a coal dealer. Police had been on
the trail of the fugitive Rosthon for quite a while but he had
managed to slip away in previous instances.
|
Non-violent
|
March 14 |
Shillong |
Reacting to the statement made by Meghalaya CM
Mukul Sangma in the Assembly recently, the infamous Garo Mandei
of GNLA has challenged what proof he has with regard to his claims
about outfit chief, Sohan D Shira during his rehabilitation at
Mayiong in Shillong. In a statement issued in Tura, Garo Mandei
was all praises for Sohan and instead accused the CM of working
together with the leaders of the ANVC to harass him and eventually
driving him back into the jungles. "He was well established in
different lines of business but the leaders of the ANVC couldn't
accept his success ultimately taking away his legal sources of
income (businesses) and even trying to eliminate him. Sohan, knowing
all this disposed off all the weapons, ammunition, etc to Late
Peter Marak [founder and chairman of LAEF] with whom he later
joined up to strengthen the LAEF. But Peter Marak was arrested
at Jorabat and was brought to Garo Hills where he died in a fake
encounter," he said.
|
Non-violent |
April 5 |
Dobu area / East Garo Hills District
|
Suspected LAEF militants abducted a car mechanic,
identified as Prafulla Roy (40), from Dobu area in East Garo Hills
District. A FIR has been filed in this regard at Williamnagar
Police Station of the District.
|
Violent |
April 13 |
Rongjeng forest / East Garo Hills District
|
The 'commander-in-chief' of one of the splinter
groups of the LAEF was killed in an encounter with Police in Rongjeng
forest in East Garo Hills District. Police launched an operation
in the forests of Chichra village under Rongjeng Police Station,
and came across a group of armed LAEF militants. The militants
numbering 10-12 and led by their militant 'chief' Augustine Marak
exchanged fire with the Police teams leading to a 45 minute encounter.
In the gun battle Augustine was killed and another cadre identified
as Walsrang N Areng hailing from Chichra Apal village was arrested
while the rest of the militants fled from the scene. A search
of the encounter site led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle along
with 72 live rounds and three mobile phones and SIM cards.
|
Violent |
April 17 |
Dainadubi Police outpost / North Garo Hills District
|
Six cadres of LAEF surrendered before the Police
at Dainadubi Police outpost in North Garo Hills District. LAEF
'commander-in-chief' Mathew G Momin, from Kamalpara-Bakrapur village
of Dudhnoi, led his faction to the surrender ceremony handing
over an AK 47 rifle, a shotgun and two pistols along with several
rounds of ammunition. Along with Mathew was his 'deputy military
chief' Ravan Basumatary (28) of Chitukhona village in Damas and
four other senior cadres of the outfit - Tenik Sangma (30) of
Naringgre Rongjeng, Negrus Sangma (25) of Khardang Dorengtop (Krishnai),
Lepjin Shira (25) of Chitukhona and Heswar Areng (31) of Songsak.
The surrender was made possible through the intervention of church
leaders, families and villagers, particularly UCPF elder Panpan
Marak, Damas MDC and GHADC executive member Dolly K Sangma and
village elders.
|
Non-Violent |
April 21 |
Garo Hills District |
A top cadre of the LAEF, Rakpel Chisim Elite,
said the outfit is regrouping with the help of international and
regional militant outfits in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya. Rakpel
said in an email: "The surrender of Mathew Marak is not the end
of the chapter in LAEF history." He claimed to be the self-styled
'deputy commander-in-chief' of the outfit. On April 17, the outfit's
'commander-in-chief' Mathew G. Momin, 'deputy commander-in-chief'
Ravan Sangma and four other cadres had surrendered at Dainadubi
in North Garo Hills. "We are not demoralised. Nor does it break
our spirit. It is better off without the corrupt and self-centered
leaders like Mathew, who misused the funds of the organisation
for his personal benefit and mistreated the army," alleged Rakpel
in the mail. "We have all the support we need both from international
as well as domestic rebel organisations to regroup and rise again.
We will display our strength and capabilities in time," the release
said.
|
Statement |
April 25 |
North Garo Hills District
|
Five LAEF militants surrendered before SP in-charge
North Garo Hills District MGR Kumar at Resubelpara. The militants
were identified as Jim G Momin alias Walku, Sengnang G
Momin alias Nikrak, Salseng Momin alias Wanted, Sengtingberth
K Sangma alias Sanggra, Sengsil G Momin alias Dakchak.
The militants did not deposit any arms or ammunition during the
surrender.
|
Non-Violent |
May 10 |
Garo Hills Districts
|
Meghalaya Police are banking on church leaders
and members of the civil society to prevail on the leaders of
the GNLA about the futility of their arm struggle, even as they
vowed to be relentless in hunting down the spreading groups of
the outfits in three Districts of Garo Hills. Buoyed by the spate
of surrenders by GNLA and LAEF cadres following the 'Operation
Hill Storm-3', the Police categorically maintained that the rest
of the fleeing groups under the command of Sohan D Shira, Hedeo,
Baichung and Rupanto will come to terms with reality. "We have
the support of the civil society in our effort and any hardening
of stand by these elements will have to be reciprocal in nature,"
stated a well placed source involved in the operations. Already,
multiple central armed forces have reached Garo Hills to aid the
State Police in nailing the four groups numbering around 40. The
groups who once camped in the Durama Forest have shifted base
to South Garo Hills. They have divided into groups with no virtual
network, informed a source. IGP G H P Raju admitted about the
other plan of operations, should the renegades fail to succumb
to the carrot and stick policy adopted by the Police. Thanking
the Church and civil society group for convincing a couple of
leaders belonging to the GNLA for being instrumental of igniting
the idea of arm revolution, Raju was equivocal in his statement
that an extra yard will be taken to neutralise these militant
groups.
|
Non-Violent |
June 11 |
Deuripara / Goalpara / Goalpara District
|
Based on specific inputs from military intelligence,
the Indian Army and Assam Police launched an operation and arrested
a militant of LAEF, identified as Suparo Swargyari from the area
of Deuripara near Goalpara in Goalpara District. One 7.65 mm pistol
was recovered from the militant along with some ammunition. According
to the militant, he joined the LAEF in 2014 and has been active
in carrying out subversive activities since then.
|
Non-Violent |
July 11 |
North Garo Hills District |
North Garo Hills Police in a joint operation with
Army arrested the 'area commander' of LAEF Rohit Marak from Rajabala
area in the North Garo Hills District. District Police chief Raghavendra
Kumar said that Marak is also wanted by Assam Police due to his
involvement in several cases in the neighbouring state. Police
recovered some demand notes and seals from his possession. Marak
is the prime accused in the abduction of an auto driver from Krishnai
in the Assam-Meghalaya border. He was also arrested 2013 following
an encounter but managed to escape from Goalpara civil Hospital
in the same year.
|
Non-Violent |