A week after a banker was abducted, four traders were abducted by suspected Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants at gun-point today in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district, police said.
The small traders hailing from Kaimbathapara village in the district were travelling in a mini truck towards Dadengre area to purchase their goods from a weekly market when they were taken away at gun-point from a place near Kantanagre area at around 7 AM, about 90 km away from the district headquarters, they said.
The traders, all brothers, identified as Gulu Sheikh, Shah Alom, Ajgar Ali and Musaddar Ali Azgar and Mussadar Ali, had left their home in Kaimbathapara village in a mini truck to purchase betel nut from Dadenggre weekly market, a police officer said.
Armed men stopped the vehicle and took the four brothers at gun point on reaching Kantanagre village, he said.
"We suspect the hand of the GNLA behind the abduction as there are police operations ongoing near the area where the kidnapping happened," Phulbari police station officer in charge, D Singh told PTI.
Soon after their abduction, a search and rescue operation was launched to locate their whereabouts, he said.
Last week, a SBI manager Arvind Kumar was abducted by suspected militants on his way to South West Garo Hills district where he was posted. He was rescued unharmed from the clutches of the militants, a day after.
Garo Hills region is prone to kidnapping and abduction by several militant groups with as many as 111 abductions had taken place in the last five years, official police statistics said.
