Shillong, Nov 20 (IANS): Four rebels of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) were arrested Wednesday from two locations in the insurgency-hit Garo Hills region in Meghalaya.

Two rebels were arrested from Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills, while the other two were nabbed in Ampati, the district headquarters of South West Garo Hills, police said.

Two pistols, two magazines, six cartridges and mobile phones were recovered from Goera D. Sangma and Sengsal R. Marak arrested from Tura, said Mukesh Kumar Singh, district police chief of West Garo Hills.

Singh said the duo had planned to carry out extortions and abductions for ransom in Tura.

Border Security Force troopers along with Meghalaya Police arrested Prethy M. Sangma and Dina M. Sangma from Kimdegre area in South West Garo Hills.

Police recovered two phones from their possession.

The GNLA, outlawed by the central government, forged an operational alliance with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), which provided it access to sophisticated arms and ammunition.

GNLA rebels, who number around 100, unleashed terror in three impoverished districts of Garo Hills in the past one year and killed over 50 people, including security personnel.