Silchar, May 13: Stepped-up operations in the North Cachar Hills against the Jewel Gorlosa faction of Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) after its spate of attacks has forced the outfit to look for shelter in adjoining Cachar district.
Senior officials in the security forces said the move by the DHD (J) to set up its camps along the jungle-infested Cachar’s boundary with North Cachar comes after the strength of the security forces was beefed up and the counter-insurgency operations intensified since last week in the hill district.
The army, tipped off about the outfit’s move, has moved in to foil its designs in Cachar. A senior official of the 57 Mountain Division under the 3 Corps said, “Our aim now is to trap Jewel’s cadres in a pincer drive from both Cachar and North Cachar ends.”
The army’s 72 Artillery Field Regiment yesterday foiled an attempt by the DHD (J) to spread its activists right into Cachar district’s areas by busting a camp in the Molongpunji area under Lakhipur subdivision in an operation which got off the ground on Sunday.
This hideout on Cachar’s eastern flanks on the border with North Cachar was established with a view to extending Jewel’s operations right into Cachar.
The sources added that the artillery had burnt down the camp at Molongpunji near Harinagar, but not before they had recovered from there a revolver, a Chinese grenade and a few rounds of ammunition, which were concealed in a grove. But no rebel could be caught from this camp as it is surmised that the militants could get away after they sensed the impending arrival of the soldiers.
At the same time, the North Cachar district administration had decided to mobilise public support in the “all-out war” against the different rebel bodies now active in the backward district.
Addressing senior citizens yesterday in Haflong, North Cachar deputy commissioner S. Jagannathan urged them to respond favourably to the administration’s appeal for building trust and confidence among them and the air of despondency now gripping them could be removed.
For building such an environment the district administration is encouraging peace marches in different towns. Already two such rallies had taken place in Maibong and Harangajao, in each of which nearly 5,000 people had gathered to register their demand for peace.
Six persons were killed in the latest incident of ethnic violence in the district. The district administration has opened several camps to house people who have fled their villages out of fear.
Jawan killed
A jawan was killed in an ambush by the DHD (Jewel) in the NC Hills last night, adds PTI.
The militants ambushed a joint patrol team of the army and Assam Rifles at Gunjung, about 15km from Haflong last night. Assam Rifles havildar Kamal Dogra was seriously injured in the gunfire and later died of his injuries.
