Silchar Aug. 21: Jinam valley, a hilly zone in the insurgency-scarred North Cachar Hills district, has become the favourite haunt of the Black Widow. Not the spider, but the breakaway Jewel Gorlosa faction of the Dima Halam Daogah (DHD).

Senior police officials in Haflong said that the area is chock-a-block with different militant outfits setting up camp in the valley.

According to sources, the DHD (Jewel) group, has been functioning from the valley and has even launched four attacks in the past three months in Cachar district’s eastern areas.

Quoting intelligence sources, a senior police official in North Cachar Hills today said a cluster of tea estates in Jinam valley has of late become a haven for rebel organisations like the DHD (Jewel), NSCN (Isak-Muivah), Hmar People’s Conference (Democratic), United National Liberation Front (Meghen) of Manipur and Kuki National Front (KNF).

Sources added that self-styled major Simraison alias Achang had pitched tents in the valley.

Police also fear sporadic turf war among these gangs as there are indications that each of them is planning to expand the respective area of operation.

Police sources said Dispur has already ordered the district police authorities to chalk out a blueprint for additional deployment of troops, which would include, among others, the Assam Armed Police, CRPF, BSF and the army, at Jinam valley with a view to countering any such threats.

However, inter-group rivalry between the militants in Jinam valley may help the police in their operation against the outfits. Police sources pointed out that the Black Widow allies, comprising NSCN (I-M) and the HPC (D), are pitted against the UNLF, KNF and the Dilip Nunisa faction of the DHD.

In another incident, Cachar police yesterday arrested former Hmar Christian insurgent leader T. Sangchum from his house near Lalpani in Cachar district’s Lakhimpur subdivision.

A cache of 40 detonators and 20 sticks of gelignite explosives were recovered from his house. Sangchum shot to fame in the early nineties when he floated a rebel outfit named the Hmar People’s Convention. He, however, laid down arms in 1994 along with his compatriots, and became the chairman of the Barak Valley Hill People’s Development Council.

Police sources said investigations are on to find out if Sangchum was still in touch with the other rebel outfits in the Northeast.