The successive arrests of its two top leaders within a week of each other have served a major blow to the insurgent faction Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Garlosa). The group, which has been terrorising Assam's North Cachar Hill district, is also known as the Black Widow.

The Assam Police arrested the outfit's second in command Joy Kishore Tharasen alias Daku Singh a couple of days ago. The Black Widow's No. 3 leader Action Dimasa, along with seven militants, was arrested earlier this week in Shillong. A huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the arrested militants in both the cases.

Daku Singh was arrested by the police while he was traveling from Umrangshu in North Cachar hills to Lanka in the neighbouring Karbi Anglong hill district in the disguise of an elderly patient. The police also found Rs 19 lakh cash in his possession. Singh was reportedly trying to sneak out of the North Cachar hills to escape the ongoing counter-insurgency operations.

The arrest led the police team to a huge cache of arms and ammunition including ten AK 47 assault rifles and over 662 rounds of ammunition from a village in Umrangshu area of the hill district.

The arrests of two of the most trusted lieutenants of Jewel Garlosa, the Black Widow's fugitive commander in chief, have dealt a major blow to the militant outfit.

Assam's Governor Lieutenant General (retired) A K Singh, who is now in charge of the administration of North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council, had stated earlier that stepped up operations by the Army and the police will soon be able to neutralise the rampaging Black Widow militant group.

He had said that the arrest of militant leader Action Dimasa was a major achievement for the security forces. Lt Gen Singh added that Black Widow commander in chief Jewel Garlosa had already fled the state.

Garlosa had broken away from the parent DHD group to oppose its decision to declare a truce and start peace talks with the Centre.

Lt Gen Singh said that the forthcoming election to the NCHADC, scheduled to be held in two phases in November and December, will be a smooth affair. The election, which was scheduled to be held in July initially, had to be postponed because of the deteriorating law and order situation in the district.