Rebels kidnap 3 traders in West Garo Hills

SHILLONG: Suspected Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) rebels abducted three small-time traders at gun-point when they were going to a weekly market at Tebrongre near Tikrikilla on Monday.
Police said the matter remained unreported till Wednesday as villagers chose to remain silent about the incident out of fear. The incident comes close on the heels of the recent killings of seven people in neighbouring Assam and five policemen in Meghalaya by suspected Garo militants.Dulal Roy (50), Manik Roy (40 - both residents of Tikrikilla - and Abdullah Ali (40) of Gomaijhora, Assam, were kidnapped from the market by about 15 armed militants.
"We are monitoring the situation. We, however, do not have any specific clue regarding the whereabouts of the kidnapped traders. Vehicle and foot patrolling is on to gather clues about what exactly had happened," West Garo Hills SP Mukesh Singh said.
A senior police officer said the Tikrikilla OC, after being informed of the incident, visited the village and persuaded the villagers to narrate the episode.