Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma condemns IED blast

SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today condemned yesterday's IED attack in the remote South Garo Hills district, which killed two policemen and injured three others, and directed the police to take steps to neutralise the outfit.

"We strongly condemn this anti-national act of criminals and have assured that all measures to neutralise these criminals and terrorists will remain as top agenda of this government," Sangma told PTI.

Head constables Aldrin Lygdoh and Akilson Marak were killed and another three were injured yesterday afternoon when an IED planted by the militants went off near a road close to Rewak while they were travelling towards Baghmara from Siju area in the district.

Condemning the attack, Sangma said his government was setting a timeline to neutralise the militants.

Ruling out that the attack was due to the state government's continuing anti-ultra operations in the Garo Hills region, Mukul said there were also positive results of the operations and in the past five-six weeks a number of cadres belonging to different outfits have surrendered.

Last year, an ambush by the GNLA near the border village of Ramchenga in South Garo Hills had led to the death of five policemen while they were on their way to Tura.

Similarly, another IED blast near the village of Tebrongre in West Garo Hills killed three policemen earlier this year.