Militants fire in Meghalaya, 4 injured
Shillong: Four persons, including a CRPFcommando, were injured when suspected militants lobbed a grenade and opened fire at a transport weigh bridge in Meghalaya's North Garo Hills district early today.
The incident took place at around 3:20 AM at Sarangma village on the NH 62 in the district and about 30 km away from Resubelpara, the district headquarter, Superintendent of Police Ramesh Singh said.
According to the district police chief, a group of armed militants came to the weigh bridge and lobbed a grenade outside the room before opening fire from their light machine guns. In the melee, three workers were injured along with a CRPF personnel posted in the transport office, he said.
The CRPF personnel, who were posted at the weigh bridge retaliated but the militants escaped taking advantage of the darkness, the SP said. According to the local villagers, the attack could be a warning from the militants who could have served extortion note on the operators.
The transport officials posted there, however, did not confirm if there was any such demand made by any of the armed outfits in the Garo Hills region.