Threat from militants belonging to the banned Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Garlosa) or the Black Widow group has forced the Railways authority to stop train services in the Lumding- Badarpur Hill Section in the night.
A spokesman of the Northeast Frontier Railway informed that the Railway decided to do away with train services in the night fearing attacks by Black Widow militants active in the area.
The Black Widow ultras had threatened to disrupt train services in the section as the state government had failed to respond to its unilateral ceasefire. The Black Widow ultras fired upon a goods train between Jatiga and Bajatar stations on Thursday afternoon, causing partial damage to the engine, though no one was injured in the attack.
This is not the first time that train services have been disrupted in the hill section of Assam that links the Assam Valley to Tripura and Manipur. Earlier, on May 11, the Railways suspended train services in the night after an attack by Black Widow ultras on May 10.
Train services were suspended entirely after an engine driver was killed in an attack by Black Widow militants on May 14. The Railways resumed goods train services from May 25 while passenger train services were resumed from July 31.
The central government has reached a peace agreement with the parent DHD outfit, led by Dilip Nunisa, and has held a few rounds of peace talks with the faction. The Black Widow, a breakaway group, is vehemently opposed to the peace process. The DHD demands a separate state for the Dimasa tribe living in North Cachar Hill district of Assam.