Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF)

Formation

The Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF), a breakaway faction of the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), was formed on May 16, 2004. The split was triggered by a cease-fire agreement, signed on May 23, 2002, between the UPDS and Union Government.

The outfit also has an armed wing called the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Resistance Force.

Objectives

The outfit claims to fight for the cause of Karbi tribes and its declared objective is Hemprek Kangthim, meaning self-rule/self-determination of the Karbi people.

Leadership, Cadre and Area of Operation

Pradip Terang alias Pongbi Dilli is the ‘Chairman’ of the outfit. Har Sing Timung was the General Secretary till January 2, 2005, when he resigned from his position following serious differences with the ‘Commander-in-Chief’ Men Sing Takbi alias Willingson Timung. Laden Ronghang is the ‘Publicity Secretary’ of the group and ‘Incharge Central Publicity Cell’ is Thong Teron alias Rupsing Teron. The Assistant Foreign Secretary/ Revenue/Finance/Taxation of the outfit is Biren Lekthe alias Risso Tokbi.

Currently, the outfit has around 200 cadres operating in the Karbi Anglong district. The KLNLF Commander-in-Chief, Willingson Timung, was killed along with two other cadres by the General Secretary, Hor Sing Timung, on February 2, 2005. Later on April 29, 2005, Hor Sing Timung along with other four associates was executed by the outfit at a camp in Bangladesh for their involvement in the murder of Timung.

While the group’s stronghold is the Karbi Anglong district, its presence has also been reported from the North Cachar Hills and Nagaon districts.

Linkage

The outfit maintains close links with the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). The ULFA’s ‘709th battalion’ operates out of two major bases in Karbi Anglong, with the KLNLF providing it with logistic support in return for weapons and ammunition.

It also reportedly has links with the Nagaland-based National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM). On May 11, 2004, 31 KLNLF cadres along with five NSCN-IM militants were arrested from a bus on the Paren-Ghaspani Road on their way to Dimapur. These cadres had undergone training at a NSCN-IM camp and were reportedly part of the recent batch that passed out from there. On October 13, 2007, security forces neutralized a joint camp of the NSCN-IM and KLNLF inside Kaki Reserve Forest area in the Karbi Anglong district.

Funds

Abductions for ransom and extortion are the main sources of funds for the group. According to official sources, the outfit generates a considerable amount of revenue by targeting the ginger producing Kukis in the Singhason Hills area. The non-Karbi Hindi – speaking traders are also targeted for extortion.

Incidents

2008

May 31: Three KLNLF militants surrendered before the security forces along with an AK-47 rifle, three magazines, and two 9-mm pistols in Guwahati.

May 23: Two KLNLF militants surrendered before the security forces at Dinjan Army camp in the Dibrugarh district.

April 22 : Eight militants belonging to the KLNLF and AANLA give up arms in a surrender ceremony held at the Circuit House in Diphu in the Karbi Anglong district.

April 20: The KLNLF retaliates the killing of its cadre by triggering a bomb blast near the statue of Karbi leader Rangfarpi Rangvi in Diphu town. Police sources say that the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Karbi Anglong), N. Dungal, sustained minor injuries in the blast.

A KLNLF militant is killed and huge quantities of arms and explosives were recovered by the security forces (SFs) when they neutralised a KLNLF camp at Manja area in the Karbi Anglong district. While five other militants manage to escape, an AK-56 rifle, three AK-47 rifles, one .30 Winchester carbine, one 40-mm Single Barrel Grenade Launcher, one 5.56 rifle with an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher, 234 rounds of assorted ammunitions of AK-56 & AK-47 rifles and a .303 rifle with magazines are recovered from the incident site.

April 10: At least 41 persons were injured in a bomb blast triggered by suspected KLNLF militants at a market in the Howraghat area of Karbi Anglong district.

April 8: Two KLNLF militants were arrested by the security forces in the Karbi Anglong district. One KLNLF militant, identified as Jiten Hansie, was arrested from Manja area and a Chinese grenade was recovered from his possession. Another militant, identified as Kangpura Rongpi alias Rang Rongpi, was arrested from Diphu.

February 24: Suspected KLNLF militants shot dead two Hindi-speaking persons in the Bokoliaghat Rangnagar village under Bokoliaghat police station of Karbi Anglong district. The victims were identified as Biswanath Chauhan and Radheshyam Chauhan.

February 22: Three KLNLF militants were shot dead by the security forces in an operation in the Kamalabhati village under Howraghat Police Station in the Karbi Anglong district. Two AK-56 rifles, four single barrel guns, 177 rounds of ammunition of assorted weapons were recovered at the site of the encounter.

February 11: Two KLNLF militants surrendered before the security forces at Dinjan in the Dibrugarh district.

January 23: One KLNLF militant was shot dead while another was arrested by the security force (SF) personnel in an encounter near Bokajan in Karbi Anglong district. According to official sources, the militant was killed when he tried to escape by opening fire on the security forces. One AK-56 rifle, two magazines and 50 live cartridges were recovered from their possession.

A KLNLF militant, identified as Philip Singnar, was killed in an encounter with the SFs at Kakajan under Borpathar Police Station in the Karbi Anglong district. Another cadre, Lorence Teron, was arrested by the SFs on the spot while another managed to escape taking advantage of the dense forest. An AK-56, two magazines, a smoke grenade and 55 rounds of live immunizations were recovered from their possession.

A 24-hour bandh (general strike) was called by the KLNLF in the Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts from 5pm (IST) of January 25 till 5pm of January 26 in protest against the "incursion of Indian occupational forces" in the territory of the two districts.

January 11: Two KLNLF militants were killed by the security forces in Golaghat district. An AK 47 rifle and a pistol were also recovered from them.

2007

December 17: Two KLNLF militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Karbi Anglong district. A group of militants fired at the security force personnel at Chowkihola in the Bokajan police station area, and in the retaliatory fire, two militants were killed.

November 23: The KLNLF militants along with its armed wing Karbi Anglong-NC Hills Peoples` Resistance imposed a ban on the entry of the Congress party leaders to the rural areas of the Karbi Anglong district with effect from January 1, 2008. The group said that the ban has been enforced due to the failure of the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council administration and the State Government to implement government-designed schemes and redressal of the grievances of the needy people. Citing irregularities in the utilisation of various government funds, the ‘chief of the staff’ of KNPR and ‘captain’ of KLNLF, S Timung, in a press release, alleged that the Congress-led KAAC is involved in rampant corruption and fund embezzlement to the tune of several crores meant for the development of the hill district.

November 20: Security forces shot dead two unidentified KLNLF militants at Belughat under Howraghat police station in the Karbi Anglong district. Two AK-47 rifles and some RPGs were recovered from the slain militants.

November 14: Security forces killed one KLNLF militant, identified as Jewel Kro, and arrested one of his colleagues, Waising Kathar, from Chokihola area under Bokajan police station in the Karbi Anglong district. A US-made .765 pistol with six round cartridges and a magazine was recovered from his possession.

October 29: SFs arrested four unidentified linkmen of the KLNLF from the Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts.

October 23: Thirty-one ULFA militants and two from the KLNLF surrendered along with a huge cache of arms and explosives at Tamulpur in the Baksa district. One Thailand-made pistol, two PT 32 pistols, eight rounds of PT 32 pistol, an AK-56 Rifle, a radio set, ten rounds of AK-56 rifle, five rounds of 9 mm pistol, ten detonators, 20 metres fuse wire and four power gel explosives 801 (25 mm X25 mm) were deposited by the militants.

October 13: Security forces neutralized a joint camp of the NSCN-IM and KLNLF inside Kaki Reserve Forest area in the Karbi Anglong district. While the militants managed to escape, 79 rounds of AK-47 ammunition were recovered from the hideout.

September 25: Three KLNLF militants, while coming to extort INR 50 lakhs as ransom from the management body of a public sector undertaking, Cement Corporation of India, are arrested by police at Sorihojan in the Karbi Anglong district.

September 10: One unidentified KLNLF militant surrendered to the SFs, along with an AK-56 Rifle, a magazine and 20 rounds of ammunitions, at Lengri in the Karbi Anglong district.

September 8: Two unidentified KLNLF cadres surrendered along with arms at a surrender ceremony at Lengri in the Karbi Anglong district. The two militants are reportedly responsible for the massacre of 29 Hindi-speaking people in August 2007.

September 5: Security forces, during three raids in the Karbi Anglong district, arrested three unidentified cadres of the NSCN-IM, NDFB and KLNLF. Sources said that the militants were allegedly involved in extortion activities.

September 3: SFs arrested two KLNLF militants, Robinson Hanse and Labiram Kramsa, from Samelangso area under Howraghat police station in the Karbi Anglong district.

August 31: The army has launched major operations in the Upper Assam and surrounding areas of the Guwhati city to strike at terrorist bases and urban hideouts. An unnamed army official said, "A major operation is on for the past 15 days and we are achieving success in hitting ULFA and its sister militant outfits." During the operations, the army has been successful in neutralizing sanctuaries and hideouts of the ULFA, NDFB and the Manipur-based KNLF.

August 30: Security forces killed two KLNLF militants, ‘sergeant major’ Dimapur Bey and ‘lance corporal’ Harbaman, at Timung village in the Rongapara area under Howraghat police station of Karbi Anglong district. One US-made .45 machine gun along with 15 live cartridges, one 9-mm pistol, CDs, batteries, a TV, a radio, mobile phones, army fatigues, torches and INR 79,483 are recovered from the incident site.

August 28: Suspected KLNLF militants triggered an explosion at the residence of Assam Hills Area Development Minister Khorsingh Engti at Hauraghat in the Karbi Anglong district. While no casualty is reported, the building is partially damaged in the incident. Police said the militants had planted the remote-controlled bomb at one end of the perimeter wall of the residence. The blast is reportedly meant to prevent the Minister from attending a public meeting at Dolamara, where militants of the same outfit had shot dead 18 Hindi-speaking persons in two separate attacks on August 10 and August 12.

August 13: Police personnel killed two unidentified KNLNF militants at Mouzadar Basti in the Karbi Anglong district. Police sources said that a gang of six to seven KNLNF militants are taking shelter at Mouzadar Basti.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, in a Unified Command Structure meeting held at Guwahati, has asked the security forces to dismantle all camps of the ULFA and KLNLF from Karbi Anglong district to put an end to the current killings of the Hindi-speaking people. "At present, the ULFA, in connivance with the KLNLF, has been carrying out subversive activities in Karbi Anglong. So long the camps of the two rebel groups are there, they will continue to kill Hindi-speaking people. I have asked the security forces to dismantle the camps," he added.

The UPDS has charged the ULFA of hatching a conspiracy with the KLNLF to start an ethnic clash in the Karbi Anglong district by killing Hindi-speaking people. UPDS publicity secretary Thung E. Nongloda said: "The ULFA has been killing Hindi-speaking people in various parts of the State, and now the outfit has started such killings in Karbi Anglong after coming into an understanding with the KLNLF."

August 12: Suspected KLNLF militants shot dead six civilians and injured two others at two different places in the Karbi Anglong district. Four civilians, Mahabir Swami, Nandalal Swami, Sila Gupta and Mohan Kanu, are shot dead by the KLNLF militants at Rongbonghat village under Bokajan police station. Two other civilians, Kanhaiyala Swami and Ramesh Swami, sustained injuries in the attack. Similarly, two more Hindi-speaking Bihari migrants, Suraj Sahani and Nanu Satnami, are killed at Parokhowa bazaar under Howraghat police station.

Armed militants reportedly threatened to kill more Hindi-speaking migrants as they said it is the order from ‘higher-ups’. The KLNLF has also called for a 20-hour Karbi Anglong strike beginning 5 pm on August 14.

According to intelligence sources, ULFA is targeting the Hindi-speaking people at the diktat of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s external intelligence agency, and jihadi forces. The group is being assisted by the KLNLF which has well-equipped bases in the hill district. Sources said that the ISI and jihadi groups active in Assam and the North-east have deployed at least two ULFA cells in and around Guwahati to carry out subversive activities in the run-up to the Independence Day celebrations on August 15.

August 11: Two more civilians succumbed to their injuries raising the death toll to 14 in the ULFA and KLNLF-joint attack at Rongteron village under the Bokajan Police Station on August 10.

August 10: A group of 10-15 suspected ULFA and KLNLF militants attacked a village at Dolamara in the Karbi Anglong district and shot dead 11 Hindi-speaking migrant workers on August 10-night. The dead include four women and two children belonging to two families originally hailing from the State of Bihar. The Deputy Inspector General of Police, Lajja Ram Bishnoi, said, "The militants went berserk and killed 11 people belonging to two Hindi-speaking families after entering their houses." All the victims are petty cultivators engaged in tilling the land of local villagers in that area.

One KLNLF militant, Archok Engti, surrendered before the army at the Red Horns camp at Lengry in the Karbi Anglong district along with a 7.65 mm pistol made in Italy, a magazine and 12 rounds of ammunition. Engti reportedly joined the group in 2003 and are undergoing training in weapons handling. He is also involved in extortion and kidnapping activities.

August 8: Nine civilians are killed and five others injured when a group of ULFA and KLNLF militants opened indiscriminate fire at Ampahar Basti village under Howraghat police station in the Karbi Anglong district. The Hindi speaking communities living in that village are attacked by the militants with sophisticated weapons. Eight persons, including four women and three children, died on the spot while another person died while on the way to hospital.

August 3: A group of suspected ULFA and KLNLF militants shot dead one civilian, Shatrughan Pandey, at Dergaon market under Howraghat Police Station in the Karbi Anglong district.

July 19: Four unidentified militants belonging to KLNLF are arrested from Dhansiri under Diphu subdivision in the Karbi Anglong district along an unspecified number of arms.

July 18: SFs arrested two KLNLF militants, Jony Thokbi and Son Timung, following an operation at Gautam Basti near Khatkati under Bokajan police station in the Karbi Anglong district.

July 15: Suspected KLNLF militants abducted Kailash Jha, a senior official, and Madan Kumar Bora, security officer, of the public sector undertaking Cement Corporation of India from Dilai in the Karbi Anglong district. Bora was released subsequently.

July 13: Police arrested one KLNLF linkman, identified as Kamsing Tisso, from Kanjukathai near Bakalia under Howraghat police station in the Karbi Anglong district. Sources revealed that Tisso has been involved actively in extortion activities on behalf of the outfit.

June 30: Four persons are killed and at least 40 others injured in four bomb blasts – three in upper Assam’s Tinsukia district and one in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong district. Three persons are killed in two successive bomb blasts at a fish market and a textile market in the Tinsukia town. 12 persons are injured in another blast that occurred, almost simultaneously, in front of a cinema hall at Doomdooma town. One woman is killed and seven persons are injured when suspected KLNLF militants lobbed a grenade in the marketplace at Diphu.

June 19: Two CRPF personnel are killed and five other security force personnel are injured in an ambush by suspected cadres of the ULFA and KLNLF at Samelangshu area under Howraghat police station in the Karbi Anglong district. The militants ambushed the joint patrol of police and CRPF team led by the Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police.

June 6: Two unidentified militants of the KLNLF are killed in an encounter with the police at villages Sarpo Tisso and Mon Tokbi under Dillai out post in the Karbi Anglong district.

June 3: Four police personnel are killed and two others sustained injuries when Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF) militants ambushed a police patrolling party at Koilajan area under Bokajan police station in the Karbi Anglong district.

May 30: Four groups - the United People's Democratic Solidarity (UPDS), Karbi Longri North Cachar Liberation Front (KLNLF), DHD and Black Widow, reportedly have launched widespread extortion drives in their respective strongholds in the Karbi Anglong and North Cachar hill districts making the life of common people, government staff and traders miserable.

March 7: Assam Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain informs the State Legislative Assembly that as many as 87 persons including 83 civilians and four security force personnel were killed in militant violence in January, 2007. During the month, the militants belonging to the ULFA and Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) triggered 28 explosions in different parts of the State killing 12 civilians and four security force personnel. Minister says that 459 persons were killed and 1350 injured by the ULFA since 2001.

February 3: Two unidentified KLNLF militants are killed in an encounter with Police at Khasi Kunji Market under Samaguri police station in the Nagaon district.

January 22: A portion of the railway track between Diphu and Nailalong Railway stations in the Karbi Anglong district is damaged due to a bomb explosion triggered by suspected ULFA and KLNLF militants.

January 6: The Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) militants kill eight polling personnel and injure eight others during elections to the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council. Militants exploded an improvised explosive device and fired on polling personnel when they were returning after the close of voting.

2006

June 15: The Bokajan police recover from an interior village in the Karbi Anglong district the dead body of a KLNLF cadre, Mirjeng Teron alias Bhupen Teron, who was abducted by at least six UPDS militants from his residence at Japarajan.

May 10: Two KLNLF cadres, 'corporal' Kolam Sing Engti and Babu Ram Teron, surrender at Diphu, headquarters of the Karbi Anglong district. They also deposited two 9 mm pistols and four rounds of ammunition. According to sources, the KLNLF, which has been set up in 1999 following the split in UPDS, has as many as 60 cadres currently.

March 31: Three ULFA cadres and one from the KLNLF surrender to the army at Diphu in the Karbi Anglong district along with an AK 47 rifle, two magazines, 67 rounds of cartridges, four hand grenades, one country-made revolver, one grenade and some detonators.

February 17: KLNLF releases three hostages, R.K. Chaudhury, Ramen Das and Bimal Das, it has been holding since January 22, somewhere near the Kaziranga National Park.

2005

November 4: KLNLF calls a 10-hour general strike in the Karbi Anglong district to protest against the "military dominion perpetrated by the Indian colonial power upon the self governing territories of the North-east, including Karbi Anglong and NC Hills."

September 24: Suspected KLNLF militants attack the Bagori police outpost near Jakhalabanda in the Nagaon district.

September 12: Suspected KLNLF militants abduct three employees of the Bhagwati tea estate, under Santipur police station.

September 2: Four KLNLF cadres, one cadre each of the ULFA, NDFB and MULTA surrender before the army authorities at Misa camp near Nagaon.

August 18: Three KLNLF cadres are arrested from Doboka in the Naogaon district along with an AK-56 rifle, an AK-47 rifle and two hand grenades.

August 17: 14 people sustain injuries in a grenade attack by suspected KLNLF militants at Diphu town in the Karbi Anglong district.

August 9: The 'helper' of a truck dies as suspected KLNLF cadres ambush a convoy of six trucks plying from Hojai to Diphu at the Desobai area under Howraghat police station in the Karbi Anglong district.

June 15: The UPDS joint secretary W Mukhrang, in a statement, claims, "The KLNLF is a spent force which is engaged only in fratricidal killings."

May 27: Three persons are killed and three others sustain injuries in an ambush by the KLNLF on a passenger vehicle at Silveta under Howraghat police station in the Karbi Anglong district.

May 2: A KLNLF statement says that ‘general secretary’ Horsing Timung and four other cadres have been ‘executed’ by the outfit on April 29 at a camp in Bangladesh for having killed the outfit’s ‘commander-in-chief’ Willingson Timung in February 2005.

April 6: KLNLF militants abduct the proprietor of a tea estate at Bagori in the Nagaon district.

March 19: Six persons are injured as KLNLF militants lob a grenade in the heart of Diphu town of Karbi Anglong district.

March 15: Two KLNLF terrorists, including ‘area commander’ Lonki Teron, are killed in an encounter with the police in Diphu town, headquarters of the Karbi Anglong district.

March 1: One person is killed and seven others sustain injuries in a grenade attack by suspected KLNLF terrorists at a market in the Lahorijan area of Karbi Anglong district.

February 23: Willingson Timung, the KLNLF ‘commander-in-chief’ is killed along with two other cadres by cadres of his own outfit inside the Langlakso forest area.

February 21: Three KLNLF terrorists are arrested from the Kakojan village and four 12 bore SBBLs, a factory-made air gun, 12 live cartridges and 500 grams of explosives recovered from their possession.

January 13: Suspected KLNLF terrorists kill a 60-year-old woman at Diphu town in the Karbi Anglong district.

January 2: Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) ‘general secretary’, H.S. Timung, is reported to have resigned from his post and the primary membership of the outfit, following serious differences of opinion with the outfit’s ‘Commander-in-Chief’, W Timung.

2004

November 30: The KLNLF announces a weeklong campaign against the controversial December 4, 2000 pact, signed between Holiram Terang led faction of the Autonomous Sate Demand Committee (ASDC) and the Kuki National Assembly (KNA) that promises a separate ‘homeland’ to the minority Kuki tribe within the Karbi Anglong district.

November 12: 24 people are injured in a grenade attack by unidentified terrorists at Lanka in Nagaon district. Cadres of either the KLNLF or the DHD are suspected to be involved in the attack.

November 10: Altogether thirteen terrorists including six ULFA and seven KLNLF surrender before the Army at Missa in Nagaon district along with one AK-56 rifle, two hand grenades, one-pen pistols, one nine mm pistol and three SBBL guns.

November 2: Suspected KLNLF terrorists lob a grenade at a market near Bokajan town in Karbi Anglong district, seriously injuring one person.