TURA, Feb 1 — In a daring attack on security forces, ultras belonging to the banned A’chik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) and the NSCN-IM attacked a Border Security Force (BSF) patrol party in the interior of South Garo Hills, near the international border with Bangladesh, killing two BSF jawans on Thursday evening. The incident occurred 2.5 kms away from Border Outpost, near Dambuk Apal towards, Baghmara at 5 pm. A three member BSF patrolling party of 161 Bn located at Dobasipara was suddenly fired upon by a group of militants from the deep undergrowth. In the ensuing fire two jawans were killed. The third jawan managed to fire from his Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) and killed two of the militants. The militants fled with one of the SLRs belonging to the slain jawan. They however left behind the bodies of the two militants along with three grenades, one AK-47 magazine, and some live AK-47 ammunition.
The slaim jawans were constable Amarjit Singh and constable Ram Ashere, both belonging to 161 Bn of the BSF. The two militants killed have been identified as Nokman D Marak, of ANVC and H Chishi Swu of the NSCN-IM. The South Garo Hills police and the BSF have begun massive coming operations in the area to nab the other killers. The South Garo Hills with Bangladesh is extremely porous and has been used by the militants to enter Bangladesh. They have also been regularly ferrying arms into Garo Hills from Bangladesh. In February last year, suspected ANVC militants had killed two BSF jawans in the same area. The two were ambushed in a similar way and their SLRs taken away. Of late, even the banned ULFA and the NDFB have begun to use Dambuk Apal and Rongra areas as crossing points.