Shillong, Aug. 22: The “commander-in-chief” of militant Garo Hills Liberation of Achik Elite Force, Peter Marak, was shot dead at Kalak in Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills district today. He had been arrested yesterday on the Meghalaya-Assam border.

Police claimed that Marak was killed when he was taking a police team to his outfit’s hideout. “He was hit by a bullet fired by the militants at the police team,” inspector-general of police B.L. Buam said.

Marak was a former Special Operations Team constable. He formed the outfit in 2005 to demand

“Garoland”.