Four armed men killed in encounter with Meghalaya Police-ATS

Four armed men were killed in an exchange of fire with a joint team of the Meghalaya Police and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in East Garo Hills district in the early hours of Sunday (August 30, 2026), police said.

The gunfight took place around 4 a.m. when the joint team had set up a checkpoint on the road from Songsak towards Kagal following intelligence inputs, East Garo Hills SP Pawar S. Vasantrao said.

During the check, the team signalled a suspected vehicle to stop, but its occupants allegedly opened fire at the police personnel, prompting the security forces to retaliate, he said.

"In the ensuing counterfire, the four men who were in the vehicle sustained serious injuries. They were immediately shifted to the hospital, where they were declared brought dead," he added.