GNLA procuring arms in Bangladesh

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Nov 28: The leadership of proscribed Garo tiol Liberation Army (GNLA) recently sent envoys to clandestinely procure more arms and ammunitions from the dealers in Bangladesh.

Well placed sources confirmed the covert procurement of arms by the proscribed Garo outfit which has had a serious beating in the recent past.

“We have intelligence inputs that the GNLA has sent its agents to get weapons and other armory,” a source said. Divulging about the GNLA arsel that is considered as an outfit “still enough with fire power”, the source said that the huge deposition of arms and ammunitions by the 120 odd surrendered GNLA militants is simply a tip of an iceberg. “They have already amassed huge arms, ammunitions and cash stash in different places. The setback in terms of surrender by cadres belied the actual armory,” said the source.

GNLA chief Sohan D Shira has contacts with the ULFA (I) and NSCN (K).  It will not be a surprised to any Intel agencies to surmise his credentials as a man with contacts to procure arms in his battle against the State. The Director General of Police (DGP) Swaraj Bir Singh did not contradict the information about the new procurment, yet apt in stating that the GNLA is a desperate lot after its ally-the western command of the ULFA (I) received a setback recently through the surrenders of its top leaders.

The GNLA and the ULFA (I) have same training grounds in Durama hills in the past. According to the DGP, there are around 20-25 hard core cadres of the GNLA with links to the decrepit ULFA leadership. The ULFA leadership with ties with the GNLA is under Manoj Rabha @ Dritshi Rajkhowa who operated in the Kamrup-Goalpara belt of Assam.