SONGSAK : Four members of an armed interstate criminal gang were killed in an exchange of fire with security forces along the Songsak-Dagal road in East Garo Hills district early Sunday morning.
The operation unfolded around 4 am during a joint checkpoint inspection run by Meghalaya Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad alongside the East Garo Hills Police team. Officers had set up the checkpoint on credible intelligence about armed miscreants moving through the area.
When police signalled an approaching vehicle to halt, its occupants opened fire on the security team instead. Personnel returned fire in self-defence, touching off a heavy exchange before all four occupants sustained severe injuries.
They were rushed first to Songsak Primary Health Centre, then referred onward to Williamnagar Civil Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead.
According to police and local news sources, the four deceased have been identified as Alachon Marak of Meghalaya, allegedly tied to the August 23 shooting of businessman Abu Sayed outside his establishment in Dudhnoi, Sustam Rabha, allegedly linked to a 2021 armed robbery case registered at Lela in Dudhnoi, Kalam Sheikh, a resident of Agia in Assam, and Bhabidul Islam, from Krishnai in Assam’s Goalpara district.
Investigators suspect the four operated as part of an active interstate criminal syndicate running violent operations across the Assam-Meghalaya border. Police are separately examining whether the group had any hand in a criminal incident reported near Tapra/Damra on August 25. Forensic teams have since processed the encounter site and recovered weapons and ammunition.
Also, authorities have asked the public and media to rely only on official updates while verification procedures continue, rather than circulate unconfirmed accounts of what happened.
