Shillong, April 5: Four GNLA cadres, who were involved in torching 14 coal-laden trucks recently, were shot dead by the police in an encounter in East Garo Hills in the wee hours today.

One AK-47 rifle was also recovered from the encounter site. According to police, after getting inputs on the presence of GNLA militants at Mongpangro near Keragalram village near Mendipathar in East Garo Hills, a police team lead by sub-divisional police officer of Resubelpara, East Garo Hills, Aditya Goenka, rushed to the spot around 1am today. While the police personnel were approaching the militants who were in a vehicle, the militants fired at them.

In the ensuing encounter, while four militants were shot dead, others escaped.

The police could identify only three slain militants as Jenny Momin, Pilliport Momin and Rikjeng Marak.

They also found an AK-47 rifle from the encounter site. The militants had boarded two vehicles with numberplates AS18 B-3581 and ML08 A-5369. It was while trying to stop the vehicles that the militants fired at the police. The slain militants were part of the gang which was involved in torching 14 coal trucks.