Shillong, Oct 7 (IANS): At least six rebels of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) have surrendered in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district, police said.

Manan Ch. Sangma, military commander of Dadenggre, led the group and surrendered at the office of district police chief of West Garo Hills, a police officer said Monday.

The rebels surrendered an AK-56 with two magazines, two 7.65 pistols with two magazines, 94 rounds of ammunition and a highly explosive grenade.

"The rebels surrendered following pressure due to the operations against the GNLA militants in Garo Hills region," Mukesh Kumar Singh, district police chief of West Garo Hills, told IANS.

The Meghalaya government has launched a crackdown code-named 'Operation Hill Storm' to flush out militants from the Durama range.

The Border Security Force and units of CoBRA commandos have been deployed in Garo Hills to assist the state police in the crackdown.

The GNLA, one of the five Garo rebel groups, is fighting for a sovereign Garoland. It has forged an operational alliance with the United Liberation Front of Asom and the National Democratic Front of Bodoland.