Imphal, December 11 2008: SEPARATIST REBELS broke into a jail at Haflong in Assam early today and freed three of their jailed comrades, officials have said.

The official said that rebels belonging to Black Widow, a faction of the Dima Halam Dorga (DHD) attacked the jail under Haplong police station this early morning at around 5.30 am and taken away their three colleagues lodging in the jail at the police station.

The police said the rebels lobbed grenades as they broke into the jail at Haflong town early today.

Assam police chief G M Srivastava while confirming the incident said the guerrillas, who numbered between 15 and 20, later fired indiscriminately to cover their retreat, as they escaped with three of their jailed comrades.

The well equipped DHD activists stormed the Haplong police station at around 5.50 am, break the doors of the lock-up with three locker system and taken away the activists including its top leader Daniel Dimasha.

Other two were identified as Dakhu Singh Dimasha and Nalo Dimasha.

They have been lodging in the jail with three-tire locker system of the jail after they were arrested by the security forces recently.

Policemen on duty in the jail have been placed under suspension.

"We have suspended all the policemen who were on duty on disciplinary grounds, for their failure to stop the jail break," the police chief said.

The rebels belong to the "Black Widow" group that is fighting for an independent homeland for the Dimasa tribe in the state.

They have regularly attacked security forces and expatriate workers.

Srivastava further said that police and paramilitary forces have started a massive combing operation around Haflong town.

The "Black Widow" group has been regularly attacking police, paramilitary forces and Bengali- and Hindi-speaking settlers in Assam's north Cachar hills district for the last four years since it broke away from its parent group, Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) .

While the DHD is now involved in negotiations with the Indian government, the "Black Widow" faction led by Jewel Garlossa has recently said it will continue to wage a violent separatist campaign for a Dimasa homeland.

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