Suspected GNLA ambush killed NCP Candidate and others

The heat of election in Garo hills shock the State when suspect Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants carried out their vicious attack on the convoy of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate from Williamnagar Jonathone N Sangma in a remote village across the Simsang River on Sunday. The suspected militants triggered a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) that killed the young candidate and three others including ex-GNLA members. Sangma had been facing similar threats since 2013 and also faced attacks by unknown miscreants in his young political career. The presence of ex-GNLA members during the election drew speculation that the banned outfit GNLA are targeting its surrendered member’s Nikam Ch Momin also known as Baichung and Jonathone N. Sangma was just a collateral damage, while the political-militant nexus is also been speculate.

The other victims who faced similar fate like the NCP candidate are Samin Hassan, who was Jonathone’s personal security officer and a Class 12 college student from Williamnagar who had accompanied the candidate to the election campaign.