Black Widow

Formation

Black Widow (BW), a breakaway faction of the Dimasa outfit – Dima Halim Daogah (DHD), was formed in the aftermath of a coup by Pranab Nunisa, the DHD ‘military wing’ chief, against Jewel Garlossa, the then DHD president, on June 24, 2004. Nunisa, in a press statement, alleged that Garlossa had already formed a separate outfit on March 31, 2003, named Black Widow, which also has an armed wing.

Reports of a split within the BW surfaced with the arrest of a group of eight cadres in the Meghalaya capital Shillong on October 15, 2007. The breakaway group is led by Action Dimasa, the third in the hierarchy in the outfit. Dimasa was suspected to have killed one of the wives of Jewel Garlossa in August 2007 and had been on the run since then to avoid being eliminated. The arrested cadres of the breakaway faction were in Shillong to buy arms for the outfit.

Objectives

The outfit claims to fight for safeguarding the identity of the Dimasa tribe. Its declared objective is to create a separate homeland, within the Constitution of India, for the Dimasa tribe comprising the Dimasa-dominated areas such as the North Cachar Hills (NC Hills), Cachar and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam and parts of the Dimapur district in Nagaland.

Leadership and Cadre

Jewel Garlossa heads the BW while Phaiprang Dimasa is the outfit's ‘publicity secretary’.

The outfit's deputy commander-in-chief Franky Dimasa was arrested on March 22, 2008 from the Fatasil Ambari area of Guwahati city. His arrest followed a statement by arrested 'area commander' of the outfit Daniel Garlossa who had arrived in Guwahati from Dimapur in Nagaland by the Brahmaputra mail, along with Dimasa. Garlossa had been arrested on March 18, 2008.

The BW, according to official sources, is estimated to have a cadre-strength of about 300 militants, 100 of whom are believed to be armed with AK series rifles and a handful of Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers.

Area of operation

The outfit operates primarily in the NC Hills district, one of the biggest districts covering an area of 4980 sq km. It is also active in the Cachar and the Nagaon districts and has a strong presence in the Dimasa inhabited areas of Dhansiri area in the Karbi Anglong district.

The BW militants currently enjoy a free run in the North Cachar Hills district and have engaged in periodic violence. In fact, all the 13 security forces (SF) casualties in the district in 2006 were ascribed to the Black Widow. The outfit also accounted for seven civilian casualties. The SF presence and operations in the district appear to have little impact on the Black Widow, as not a single cadre from this group figured in the six militant fatalities recorded in the district in 2006. Black Widow has periodically set up clashes with DHD cadres and has been able to establish an upper hand in the NC Hills. More than half of the militant fatalities in the district have been due to the internecine clashes between the two groups.

On June 8, 2007, Assam Police sources said that the BW is trying to extend its area of operation to the northeastern flank of Cachar district. Sources also revealed that nearly two dozen people living in the Harinagar and Jaipur enclaves along Cachar’s northeastern boundary with North Cachar had received extortion notices. The notices, either sent by post or hand-delivered, demand amounts between INR 50,000 and INR 5 lakh.

Funding

The group indulges in extortion and abduction for ransom that comprises a major source of financial support.

This group also receives aid from wealthy Dimasas residing in various places of Assam.

The BW group is reportedly targeting the tea gardens owners, Government servants and the contractors involved in various development projects, including the gauge conversion project of the Indian Railways, the National Highway project, projects of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation, etc. Two national projects- the Silchar-Lumding Railway Gauge Conversion and the Express Highway- have been hampered badly due to rampant extortion by the BW cadres.

The groups also extorts money from various leaders and activists belonging to the Congress party and others. For instance, BW militants killed the former Chief Executive Member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, Purnendu Langthasa, and a former executive member of the Council, Nindu Langthasa, at Langlai Hasnu village in the NC Hills district on June 4, 2007. Both were candidates of the ruling Congress party for the June 12-Autonomous District Council (ADC) election. The BW had been demanding an amount of INR 150 million from the party for the safety of its candidates for the elections. While claiming responsibility for the killing of Purnendu and Nindu, BW ‘publicity secretary’ Phaiprang Dimasa indicated that both had offered money after failing to adhere to the demand for reservation of constituencies in the ADC polls. On April 26, the outfit had apparently asked the party to reserve three of the five newly created constituencies for BW representatives and had warned against making any attempt to "buy peace". The Congress had decided to ‘allot’ only two.

Extortion activity linked to the Black Widow has been reported from the North Cachar Hills, Cachar and Karbi Anglong districts.

Linkages

The Black Widow outfit reportedly has links with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and is extending support to it. The NSCN- IM allegedly provides weaponry, training and shelter to the BW cadres in its camps. Dilip Nunisa, the DHD chief, has accused the NSCN-IM of training Black Widow cadres at Camp Hebron near Dimapur town in Nagaland. Reports have also revealed that the NSCN-IM receives a share of the extorted money collected by the Black Widow group.

Reports indicate that in exchange for a share of its funds, the Naga outfit trains and arms BW cadres. NSCN-IM facilities in Nagaland have also been used by the BW cadres during security force raids in the NC Hills. Apart from the flow of finances, links with the BW help the NSCN-IM maintain a crucial level of influence in the District, which forms a part of its ‘Greater Nagaland’ (Nagalim) project.

Incidents

2008

July 9: Security Forces evict militants of the BW group while taking shelter along with the NSCN-K militants in camps at Athibung forest in the Peren district of Nagaland bordering Assam.

July 9: One Central Reserve Police Force trooper, Deepak Kumar Mandal, is killed and four others injured when the BW militants opened fire on them near Maibong in the North Cachar Hills district.

June 28: Mizoram Police arrests two Assam-based Black Widow (BW) militants and six BLFM militants when they recovered arms, including 17 AK-47 and 56 rifles, and INR 9,84,000 in cash from a truck at Buichali village, 30 kilometres west of capital Aizawl. Sources said the arms were purchased at Chiang Mai, an arms market along the Thailand-Myanmar border. The militant group is currently reported to be in Kathmandu to explore the possibility of buying arms from Nepal to south Assam.

May 27: Meghalaya Police said that BW militants have demanded huge amounts of ransom from several cement companies in the Jaintia Hills district.

May 19: BW lifted its ban on the work of the East-West railway corridor and gauge conversion projects in the North Cachar Hills district.

May 16: Three suspected BW militants shot dead the president of the apex body of Bete tribe in the North Cachar Hills, J T Roya Ngamlai, at his residence in the Phiangpui village in the North Cachar Hills district.

May 15: Suspected BW militants hijacked five cement-laden trucks and subsequently killed the five drivers and their five helpers near Krumgminglangsu village in the North Cachar Hills district.

BW militants fired on a two-coach patrol train between the Mupa and Kalachand stations in the North Cachar Hills district. The driver of the train, N.N. Bora, was killed while three others were injured in the incident.

May 12: Two persons were killed and another injured when suspected BW militants attacked railway workers engaged in a construction site at Migrendisa under Haflong police station in the North Cachar Hills district.

May 11: A group of 10 armed BW militants shot dead eight labourers engaged in the construction of a railway quarters at Thoibasti in the North Cachar Hills district.

May 10: 12 BW militants were killed and 18 others injured in a gun battle with the security forces in the North Cachar Hills district.

May 3: Army personnel arrested one Black Widow (BW) cadre and a suspected female militant when they neutralised a hideout of the outfit at Relai near Maibong in the North Cachar Hills district. The hideout had logistic support items, rations and many bunkers.

April 7: Border Security Force personnel shot dead an unidentified militant of the BW in an encounter in the Thajury area of the North Cachar Hills district.

March 24: The BW declares a unilateral cease-fire for a period of three months.

March 24: Three persons, including two railway employees Keshab Malakar and Masab Palai, were killed and two others wounded when the BW militants attacked Harangajao railway station in the North Cachar Hills district. Militants hurled two grenades and emptied at least 90 shells of AK-47 and INSAS rifle ammunition during the attack.

March 22: The 'deputy commander-in-chief' of the BW, Franky Dimasa, is arrested by the Guwahati Police from Fatasil Ambari area. He was arrested on the basis of the confessional statement of Daniel Garlosa, 'area commander' of the BW, who had been arrested on March 19 from the city where he had arrived from Dimapur in Nagaland travelling in the Brahmaputra Mail. Franky also reportedly arrived in the city by the same train along with Garlosa.

March 15: Two persons, identified as Lalmoia Hrangkhol and Jave Kamei hailing from the North Cachar Hills district of Assam, were arrested at Mawlai in the capital Shillong for having links with the BW militants. Police said an amount of INR 490,000 was also recovered from them.

March 13: Suspected BW militants abducted five persons, including three officials of a private construction company working on the North Cachar Hills stretch of the East-West corridor of the National Highways Authority of India.

March 9: Army neutralised a camp of the BW at Baladisa under Langting police station in the North Cachar Hills district and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the hideout.

February 24: One BW militant, identified as Pranjit Langthasa, was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Neonkro village near Harangajao in the North Cachar Hills district.

February 22: Five people, including three policemen, were injured in an attack by the BW militants in the North Cachar Hills district. The militants ambushed a convoy of police personnel near Hatikhali under Langting police station injuring three of them and two other passers-by.

February 19: Five employees of a private cement factory, Vinay Cements, were killed while another was injured in an attack by the BW militants in the North Cachar Hills district.

February 11: Four persons, including an Assam Police Battalion soldier, were killed and two more injured when BW militants ambushed a convoy of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd officials 20-km from Umrangsu in the North Cachar Hills district.

February 3: At least two persons were killed and three others injured by the suspected BW militants in Manderdisa village part II, under Lumding police station in the North Cachar Hills district.

January 31: Suspected BW militants shot dead Bikrom Khakra, a senior leader of the Autonomous State Demand Committee, after abducting him at Jirikinding bazaar in Hamren subdivision of Karbi Anglong district. Four other persons, identified as Pranab Bey Sarkar, Swapan Malakar, Sontosh Dam and Basa Timung, who were with Khakra, were also abducted. Militants severely assaulted Sarkar and Malakar and took Dam and Timung with them. Villagers later recovered Khakra's body and rescued Sarkar and Malakar.

January 14: Five persons, two security force personnel and three civilians were killed and another person was injured by the BW militants in Umrangsu town of the North Cachar Hills district.

2007

December 19: An unnamed senior police officer of the North Cachar Hills district revealed that at least 20 Black Widow (BW) militants are operating in the district to attack security force personnel engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the district. He said that the militants came from Nagaland to North Cachar Hills in Assam in September 2007.

December 18: Two Assam Police personnel, Mayaram Kalita and Royal K. Sangma, are killed and five others injured when a group of armed militants of the Black Widow (BW) attacked their camp at Phiding Railway Station under Mahur police station in the North Cachar Hill district. Around 30 militants attacked the camp from three sides, lobbing grenades and firing indiscriminately which lasted for at least 30 minutes.

December 14: At least four labourers were shot dead by suspected BW militants at the Longpo area under Umrangshu police station in the North Cachar Hills district.

December 6: Two persons were wounded when the BW militants attacked Dipendu Langthasa and Nirmal Langthasa, sons of Congress party leader Govinda Langthasa, near Gurubari in the North Cachar Hills district. While the two brothers managed to escape the ambush, their driver and security guard sustained injuries.

November 27: Suspected BW militants shot dead 10 unidentified saw mill workers and injured eight others in two separate attacks at Bithorgaon under Umrangsho police station in the North Cachar Hills district. The militants set ablaze two saw mills and attacked the migrant labourers working there.

November 3: Suspected Black Widow militants shot dead Darbitham Hmar, a Congress Party candidate for the district council elections, two of his personal security officers and his driver in an ambush near Haflong in the North Cachar Hills district. Hmar is attacked when he is returning to Haflong from an election campaign in an interior village of his Lower Kharthong constituency.

November 2: Seven CRPF personnel are killed in an ambush carried out by the Black Widow militants at Theijuri in the North Cachar Hills district. Police sources said that a convoy of three vehicles, led by 50 CRPF Battalion Commandant, is ambushed by the militants while proceeding towards the district headquarters at Haflong from their Doyangmukh camp. The deceased are identified as Navin Chand, AD Verma, TN Tiwari, Anil Kumar, Prasanta Boro, SC Rod and RK Aisti. The militants also took away arms and ammunition of the killed CRPF personnel and escaped.

October 17: Assam Rifles personnel arrested one 'sector commander' of the Black Widow group, Probin Hajagar alias Rock Dimasa and his associate Purjun Phonglo, from Mahur-Halflong Road in the North Cachar Hills district. One AK-56 rifle along with 30 rounds of ammunition and some incriminating documents were recovered from their possession.

October 15: Meghalaya Police arrested eight Black Widow militants from several places in Shillong town. They were identified as Ram Chetri, Jitan Das, David, Vimal Hansay, Sanjib Joshi, Dharam Chinthong, Nelson Teron and Martin Star. INR 35,000, pistols and several ammunitions were recovered from their possession.

October 12: The NSCN-IM by virtue of its cordial relations with the Black Widow group has reportedly chosen Haflong in the North Cachar Hills district for extorting money. Sources revealed that the group has targeted an amount of INR 100 cores to be extorted from the hill district with the active cooperation of the BW outfit. Sources added that with a view to collect this money, a group of 12 sharp shooters of the outfit had already left for Haflong from Hebron camp in Dimapur. The group is expected to work in close collaboration with ‘Major’ Chimroy Foam, the Haflong based NSCN-IM leader and another Wilfredo, the ‘area commander’ of Mahaur.

October 4: Munna Khan, the driver of a Construction Company who was abducted by the Black Widow militants from Muktacherra in the Cachar district on September 28, returns to his residence at Koilapool. The whereabouts of the two other employees, Samiran Suklabaidya and Raju Khan, who were also abducted along with Munna are yet to be ascertained.

September 28: Three employees of Punj Lloyd, a New Delhi-based construction company, are abducted by Black Widow militants from Muktacherra in the Cachar district. Assam Police said that the three employees, Samiran Shuklabaidya, a supervisor, and drivers Raja Khan and Munna Khan, were taken into the nearby forest.

September 26: Suspected Black Widow cadres raid Kanjar Basti, largely inhabited by Bengali speaking persons, in the Karbi Anglong district. They reportedly set ablaze houses, shops and an auto rickshaw.

September 23: Two government officials and a rural development agency worker are abducted by Black Widow militants from the North Cachar Hills district.

August 23: Two unidentified militants of the Black Widow shot dead a school teacher, Mannan Hussain, at Dibara in the North Cachar Hills district.

August 23: Black Widow militants kill a cadre of the Nunisa faction of the DHD, identified as Lal Khelma, in an internecine clash at his residence near Umrangsu town in the North Cachar Hills district.

August 8: The Black Widow militants opened fire at a designated camp of the DHD in Haflong in the North Cachar Hills district.

August 7: Suspected Black Widow militants shot dead four civilians, identified as Ashok Das, Santosh Mahato, Manna Dey and Bidhu Das, at Harinagar market under Joypur police station in the Dibrugarh district. Sources said that about 10-12 militants came to the shop of Nipendra Chandra Das and started firing indiscriminately killing the four civilians.

August 3: Suspected militants of the Black Widow shot dead one civilian, Shikari Teron, at Kumilangtuk near Umrangso in the North Cachar Hills District.

July 24: Three unidentified members of the Black Widow group were killed in an internecine clash between rival groups of the DHD - Black Widow and the Nunisa faction, near a designated camp at Pathergaon under Diphu town in the Karbi Anglong district. Police also recovered remnants of RDX from the encounter site and accordingly stepped up vigilance in the southern districts after intelligence reports indicated possible attacks by a combined team of the Black Widow militants and the NSCN-IM during the Independence Day celebrations.

July 21: At least two militants of the Dilip Nunisa faction of the DHD, identified as Rocket Dimasa and Samir Khersa, are killed and another, Banesa Langthasa, sustained gunshot injuries when the rival BW faction cadres clashed with them at a jungle near Lallongcherra village in the Silchar district.

June 19: Nonphong, a 'corporal' of the Black Widow, was killed during clashes between the two factions of the outfit at Harangajao in the NC Hills district. Nonphong had deserted the Dilip Nunisa faction and joined the BW faction in 2006.

June 14: Security forces (SFs) arrested three BW militants, identified as Anglong Manin, Zintus Marak and Walsong Manglong, from Hotel Ambassador at Paltan Bazaar in Guwahati. One car and a motorcycle were also seized from them.

June 11: Four hardcore BW militants, ‘Lt. Corporal’ Pradesh Thaosen and his associates Manjit Langthasa, Piten Thaosen and Niben Langthasa, are arrested by the Assam Rifles personnel from Bhuban Pahar in the NC Hills district. They were reportedly involved in the June 4-killing of Purnendu Langthasa, Chief Executive Member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, and his colleague Nindu Langthasa. Police also recovered one AK 47 rifle, one AK 56 rifle, two self-loading rifles, one rocket launcher and INR 80 lakhs from their hideout at Nayanpur in the same district.

June 4: BW militants killed former Chief Executive Member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, Purnendu Langthasa, and former executive member of the Council, Nindu Langthasa, at Langlai Hasnu village in the NC Hills district.

May 30: One BW cadre, identified as ‘Sergeant’ Gale, is killed in an encounter with the SFs at Hatikhali near Maibong area in the NC Hills district. The slain militant was leading a five-member team that tried to ambush a patrol squad along the Maibong-Diklem road. One AK-56 rifle, 100 live rounds of ammunition and three magazines were recovered from his possession.

Two bullet-riddled bodies were recovered from Lombapathar, under Kheroni police station in the Karbi Anglong district. One of them was identified as Dauthau Dimasa of the Black Widow group.

May 28: Mosorom Dimasa, a BW militant, is killed in an encounter with the SFs at Haflong in the North Cachar district. One 9-mm pistol was recovered from the slain militant.

May 25: One militant of the DHD, identified as Girifer Hojai alias Dimasa, is killed by militants of the Black Widow at Forest Bagan under Umrangshu Police Station in the Karbi Anglong district.

May 24: Rathu Bodusa, an 'area commander' of the DHD, is killed by suspected cadres of the rival Black Widow at Block Bazaar under Doyangbra police outpost in the Karbi Anglong district.

March 10: An 'area commander' of the Black Widow, identified as Chinese Dimasa, is arrested from a hideout on the outskirts of Maibong town in the NC Hills district. In a separate search operations, two militants of the same outfit are arrested from a hotel in Guwahati and seven others are arrested from Pura Basti near Mahur town in the North Cachar Hills district.

January 28: The cease-fire liaison office of the DHD is attacked by the rival Black Widow militants at Haflong in the NC Hills district and in the ensuing clash a Black Widow militant is killed.

January 27: The DHD leader, Dilip Nunisa, claims responsibility for the killings of 13 of their cadres who had deserted their camp at Dhansiri to join the rival Black Widow in Karbi Anglong on January 14.

January 3: At least 24 DHD cadres deserted the Nunisa faction's designated camp at Dihinga along the North Cachar Hills-Kari Anglong border in two batches to join the BW. They decamped with six self-loading rifles, an M-16 rifle and a few more arms along with a huge cache of ammunition. They are kept in the hideouts at Umrangshu, Mamboing and Maher in the North Cachar Hills.

2006

December 13: A DHD leader, Arnol Ponglu, is killed and two cadres are injured when BW militants attacked them at Umrangshu in the North Cachar Hills district. A junior engineer of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation, Manilal Thousen, is also killed during the clash.

December 2: A DHD leader belonging to the Dilip Nunisa faction, 'lieutenant' Mazran Dimasa, is wounded when he is attacked by the BW militants at Maibong town in the North Cachar Hills district. Mazran's wife, Riya Maibongsa, and a civilian, Ananta Langthasa, are also wounded in the attack.

October 22: A CPI-ML leader, Lantuk Phangcho, is abducted by suspected BW militants from Umrangshu in the North Cachar Hills district.

October 7: Two civilians are killed and three others injured in crossfire during an encounter between security forces (SFs) and BW cadres at Mujam village under Kherni police station in the Karbi Anglong district. The SF personnel were carrying out a combing operation in the area following the October 6 attack on the Railway Protection Force in the adjoining North Cachar Hills district. Tools used for making arms, military fatigues and incriminating documents were found in a temporary camp of the Black Widow near the incident site.

October 6: At least 13 Railway Protection Force personnel are killed by in an ambush by the DHD militants belonging to the Black Widow faction in the North Cachar Hills district.

September 18: A DHD cadre belonging to its Black Widow faction, Ajit Hagjer, is arrested from Hotel Geetanjali at Panbazaar in the Guwahati city.

September 10: BW militants set ablaze two labour camps at different construction sites of the Northeast Frontier Railway’s broad gauge project in the NC Hills, as the companies involved in the project fail to pay ransom to the militants. Additional Superintendent of Police Bidyut Buragohain confirmed that two labour sheds at Asong Haju and Saron Basti under Mahur police station were set ablaze by at least 12 cadres of the outfit.

September 6: BW militants shot dead two cadres of the rival Dilip Nunisa faction at Langting under Maibong police station in the NC Hills district. One of the slain militants was identified as ‘lance corporal’ Lampthou Dimasa.

September 1: Militants of the Black Widow destroy an excavator worth INR 60 00, 000 used in a railway project to terrorize the contractors to meet the demand for ransom amount. The NSCN-IM is suspected to be conniving with the Black Widow to maintain its influence in the North Cachar Hills district. The railway construction work between Lumding and Silchar through North Cachar Hills is affected, as contractors decide to suspend construction work due to extortion threat by militant outfits.

August 20: An internecine clash among BW cadres occurs at Lanfer village under Kheroni police station in the Hamren sub-division of Karbi Anglong district, following the escape of five cadres of the outfit from its camp in North Cachar Hills.

August 7: Four persons are wounded in a grenade blast triggered by suspected BW militants at Mahur market in the North Cachar Hills district.

July 26: An unidentified BW militant triggers a grenade explosion, targeting paramilitary personnel, killing three civilians, including one female child, and injuring three others at Maibong railway station in the North Cachar Hills district.

July 3: A trader, Jagannath Prasad, is killed, and at least 18 persons are wounded in a grenade explosion triggered at a market place in Haflong town of NC Hills district. Subsequently, a caller, identifying himself as the ‘area commander’ of the BW claims responsibility for the grenade attack reportedly intended ‘to teach a lesson’ to the shop owner.

June 12: Three cadres of the Black Widow group, Shishuranjan Bar, Chandrakanta Naiding and Peikhuk Rangkhol, are arrested from a hotel at Bhangagarh in the Guwahati city of Kamrup district. Incriminating documents and INR 5,00,000 are seized from the arrested militants.

April 28: The 'deputy commander-in-chief' of the DHD, identified as Naizing Daulagapu, is shot at and wounded by suspected BW militants at Upper Dibbarai under Haflong police station in the North Cachar Hills district.

March 30: BW militants kill a worker engaged by a railway contractor and injure another at Retzole in the North Cachar Hills district. Seven rounds of empty cartridges of AK-47 assault rifles were recovered from the incident site.

2005

December 6: Two unidentified militants of the BW are killed at Retzol near Haflong in the NC Hills district.

April 21: Suspected BW militants kill a villager after setting fire to two houses in the Lanku Garu Basti area under Umrangshu police station of the North Cachar Hills district.

April 11: Black Widow cadres abduct Lakhyajoti Langthasa, an executive member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council.

2004

June 28: Jewel Garlossa, the ousted DHD 'Chief' in an interview to Sentinel terms the ‘takeover’ of the outfit by the ‘military wing’ chief Pranab Nunisa as a ‘gross violation of the cease-fire agreement.’

June 24: Pranab Nunisa becomes the president of the DHD. He ousts the former president Jewel Garlossa for anti-DHD activities.