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Liberation of Achik Elite Force(LAEF) 
Formation The Liberation of Achik Elite Force (LAEF) is a Garo militant outfit that was formed sometime in 2005. Objectives In an appeal in the first week of October 2006, the LAEF outlined the reasons of its existence: "LAEF stands to fight for a separate Achik state after studying the scenario of the State. It is learnt that the citizens of our land have been ill-treated and discriminated in every field – socially, politically and economically by the Khasis and Jaintias of Meghalaya making our people lag behind in the development process." It also appealed to the Achik (Garo) people "to co-operate and join hands to fight for a peaceful movement for an independent separate Achik State." Leadership and Cadre Darong Marak is reportedly the present chief of LAEF. He is believed to have taken over the reins of the outfit after his brother Peter Marak was killed. Darong is the main trainer and ‘finance secretary’ of the outfit. Peter Marak was a former Meghalaya Police commando. Marak was posted as constable in the Garo Hills during the latter part of the 1990s, and subsequently unsuccessfully contested the by-election for Meghalaya Legislative Assembly from the Songsak constituency as an independent candidate. Remsu Rema alias Chingkam is the ‘chairman’ of the outfit. Chingkam Marak serves as the 'Convenor cum Publicity Secretary' of the LAEF. The outfit, consisting of approximately 135 cadres, also has an unspecified number of ‘secretaries’. According to police sources, the outfit has 12 AK assault rifles and other small arms.
Area of Operation The outfit operates in the East Garo Hills district, South Garo Hills district, Ri Bhoi district and East Khasi Hills district. The outfit’s presence has also been reported from the Goalpara district of Assam. Police revealed that as many as 50 well armed and trained LAEF militants operate from the Garo Hills forests, according to Assam Tribune. Linkages According to a September 5, 2007-report, the LAEF is trying to regroup in the Garo Hills with the help of some other militant outfits, including the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM). Police sources said some of its cadres had fled to Dimapur in Nagaland and were in constant touch with the NSCN-IM leaders. Shortly after his arrest from Jorabhat, the LAEF chief Peter Marak was interrogated and as per his statement, the NSCN-IM had provided the LAEF with as many as 15 AK-47s, 25 automatic M20 pistols and three highly powerful Universal Machine Guns besides over a hundred hand grenades, Assam Tribune reported on August 23, 2007. He also claimed that all the armaments were paid for by his outfit. A June 22, 2007-report stated that the outfit has established a link with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland –Khaplang (NSCN-K). Assam Tribune reported on August 23, 2007, that "the LAEF has since its inception in 2005 been rumoured to be patronised by members of a prominent political party from Meghalaya."
Incidents 2008 September 30: A newly recruited cadre of the LAEF surrenders before the East Garo Hills district police at Williamnagar. The militant hails from Dolonggre area of West Garo Hills district. September 13: Meghalaya Police arrest one LAEF cadre, Sosing A. Sangma, during a search operation at Bajengdoba. One M-20 pistol and some live ammunition are recovered from his possession. August 4: In a joint operation, the East and South Garo Hills District Police neutralise a LAEF hideout and seize a huge cache of arms and ammunition. Police raid the residence of one person, Gilberth M. Sangma, in the Jadigittim area of South Garo Hills and recover one powerful US-made shotgun with six rounds of live ammunition, a .22 rifles, ammunition of .303 rifles and 9-mm pistol, a wireless walkie-talkie and a bundle of LAEF extortion notes. July 11: Meghalaya Police arrested one LAEF militant, Sengba W. Momin, from Tura in the West Garo Hills district. He confessed to his involvement in the abduction of a trader, Bendra Prajaparti, from Rongjeng in the East Garo Hills district on March 10. He is also accused of hurling a grenade at Wagesi Weigh Bridge on May 26 and killing a person at Nonchram on the same day. July 1: Meghalaya Police recover the dead body of Nicheng Sangma, self-styled 'commander-in-chief' of the LAEF, near a camp of the outfit at Parasin in the East Garo Hills district. Police also recover three AK-47 assault rifles from the incident site. Earlier, police arrested two suspected LAEF cadres, Anju Sangma and Christian Sangma, from Pengkasot village. They confessed that Nicheng was killed by the LAEF cadres over the leadership issue. June 30 : Two LAEF cadres, Anju Sangma and Christian A. Marak, are arrested by Meghalaya Police and Army during a joint search operation along Assam-Meghalaya border. Two Chinese grenades are recovered from them. June 5: An encounter between Meghalaya Police and suspected LAEF militants occurs at Thodmari in the West Khasi Hills district. However, no casualty is reported on either side. The encounter took place when a police team from East Garo and West Khasi Hills was returning after collecting the remains of LAEF chief Peter Marak's younger brother Darong T. Marak. Darong is suspected to have been killed by his fellow cadre after a clash over a share of money at Thodmari on December 21, 2007. Meanwhile, police sources say they recovered only ribs and bones of Darong from a gorge at a place in Thodmari. May 31: Intelligence sources said that seven former Naga insurgents, who deserted the NSCN–IM and NSCN-K, continue to maintain links with the HNLC and LAEF to extort money from coal exporters and other traders in the coal belts of West Khasi Hills and Garo Hills. "The Naga men normally go back to their State after collecting huge amount of money through extortion in Meghalaya," the sources stated. Intelligence sources also indicated that former NSCN cadres involved in extortion in Meghalaya were planning to form a new militant outfit that could be more powerful than the NSCN-IM and NSCN-K. Many coal exporters from and outside the State have incurred huge losses due to the ongoing extortion drive jointly launched by cadres of the NSCN, HNLC and LAEF. Militants’ threat is reported to have forced several coal exporters to leave the coal belt areas recently. May 28: May 28: The LAEF's new 'commander-in-chief' Daria Sangma, while speaking to the media over phone, reconfirms the Meghalaya Police’s claim that the LAEF has forged ties with the Assam-based Black Widow (BW) outfit. He said that it was in the interest of consolidating LAEF to pursue its goal of a ‘separate Garo state’. The report added that a group of five LAEF cadres recently returned from arms training organised by the BW in Assam. Daria also said the Garo outfit had recently held a general council meeting in the West Khasi Hills in which he was appointed the new ‘army chief’ in the presence of LAEF ‘chairman’ Darong T. Marak who, according to police, had been killed by his own colleagues long ago. The LAEF general council meeting is said to have also appointed one Khanam D. Shira as ‘general secretary’ of the outfit, besides a former ANVC cadre Nikseng Sangma holding an important portfolio within the group. Nikseng had deserted the ANVC and joined with former ANVC 'eastern area commander' Sohan D. Shira to help the LAEF during the early days of its formation. Following the killing of the then ‘chairman’ Peter Marak in the hands of police and subsequent surrender of Sohan before the government, Nikseng reportedly fled into the LAEF stronghold of West Khasi Hills. Daria also says tells the media that the general council meeting had taken up several resolutions one of which was to turn ‘pro-active’ in its operations against certain organisations aligning with the government to wipe out the outfit. May 14: The 'eastern commander' of the LAEF, identified as Daria Sangma, denies reports about the death of its 'chief' Darong Marak at the hands of a former cadre, and said that he was very much alive and safe. "Our leader is not in Garo Hills, but inside Bangladesh overseeing the operational command of the outfit. Police claims are completely false," said Sangma. The East Garo Hills district police and the Army, during a joint operation, had earlier arrested a LAEF militant, Walter Sangma, from Bajengdoba area following a tip off that the militant had fled the outfit after killing his own chief. The LAEF's 'eastern commander' claimed that Walter Sangma deserted the outfit shortly after the killing of the former 'chairman' Peter Marak and had never met Darong Marak. Meanwhile, the East Garo Hills district police informed that Walter Marak revealed during interrogation that Darong had indeed been killed, but, not by him. He, however, could not identify the man who killed Darong. May 4: Security forces arrested Walter R. Sangma, personal bodyguard of the slain 'chairman' of the LAEF Peter Marak, at Sarangkol village in the Bajengdoba area. He confessed to having killed Peter in a hideout near Songsak in December 2007 over an argument about the share of looted money. May 3: One LAEF militant, Satjeng M. Sangma, surrenders before the Williamnagar Police. April 23: Three persons, including two LAEF cadres, are booked under the Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act. They were recently arrested from Riangdo in the West Khasi Hills district for carrying out extortion drives in the coal belt areas. They are identified as Tipison G. Marak, Nihim G. Momin and Brimly Myrthong. April 1: One LAEF cadre, identified as Salman Sangma, is arrested by the Meghalaya Police from Shahlang in the West Khasi Hills district. March 27: Three LAEF cadres, Zwing D.
Marak, Bilseng G. Momin and Lambor Puwein, were arrested during a search
operation at Rongkhukre in the West Khasi Hills district. During interrogation,
they confessed their involvement in many cases of extortion in the coal
belt areas of district in the last few months. A .22 revolver, four
rounds of live ammunition, two daggers and a torch were seized from
their possession. March 26: One policeman is wounded when LAEF militants opened fire on police personnel shifting their position for vehicle checking to another place at Dagal in the East Garo Hills district. One SBBL gun, one hand grenade and eight empty cases are recovered from the incident site. March 12: Militants of the LAEF demand INR ten million as ransom for releasing the abducted manager of a grocery shop, Devendar Prajati. A senior police official said, "The ransom note of the LAEF was found from the grocery shop. We are investigating the matter." Prajati was abducted from his residence in Rongjeng in the East Garo Hills District on March 10-night. 2007 December 21: One extortionist claiming to be a LAEF cadre, Sucheng Marak, is killed and another was arrested by the Meghalaya Police in an encounter at Baghmara in the South Garo Hills district. One Chinese pistol, a revolver with six rounds of ammunition and INR 40,000 are recovered from the encounter site. Marak is the leader of a gang involved in extorting money from government offices in South Garo Hills. The gang had been collecting money in the name of the Achik force for the past month after serving demand notes to government offices. A few magistrates and block development officers also received demand notes, police say. December 19: Police in Tura said that the LAEF has served extortion notes on government officials based in the South Garo Hills district. The LAEF, which is believed to have close links with the NSCN-IM, is involved in extorting money from coal mine owners in Nangalbibra and coal exporters in the Gasuapara area bordering Bangladesh. "Now, the LAEF is even serving extortion notes, ranging from INR 5,000 to INR 20,000 to government officials in the district," South Garo Hills District Superintendent of Police (SP) H. Toi said. He, however, informed that the police had managed to contain the militant activities with the arrest of a suspected LAEF militant Sukar Momin alias Sulu Ralo and two government employees – Bainstan Momin alias Bes and Tarius Sangma - alleged to be the LAEF's linkmen from Baghmara. Police also seized a locally-made revolver and extortion notes from Sukar Momin's possession, he added. According to him, "The job of these linkmen was to serve extortion notes to the targets specified by the militants, collect the money and hand it over to the LAEF." Intelligence sources said that the NSCN-IM had provided the LAEF with as many as 15 AK-47s, 25 automatic M20 pistols and three highly powerful Universal Machine Guns, besides over a hundred hand grenades to carry out their operations in Garo Hills. December 8: The LAEF militants waylay a police convoy and snatch an automatic carbine gun and a pistol from Sub-Inspector M.L. Barman at a place near Songsak in the East Garo Hills district. Barman is the officer-in-charge of the anti-dacoity camp at Dagal in Songsak. Police said that around six masked persons, carrying three AK-47 rifles and several pistols and appearing to be a mixed group of Bodos and Garos, were involved in the incident. Militants are engaged in extortion of money from trucks on the road near Songsak reserve forest. November 15: Meghalaya Police said that the LAEF militants are trying to regroup in the coal belt areas of the West Khasi Hills and East Garo Hills districts. "We have information about movement of LAEF militants in the two districts of West Khasi Hills and East Garo Hills," a senior unnamed police official said. The report added that the Meghalaya Police are clueless about the identity of ‘chairman’ of the LAEF, identified as Remsu Rema alias Chingkam, who had visited certain areas of Garo Hills in the past. November 3: Shillong Times reports that militants of the LAEF have asked for INR 500,000 from Monindra Rava, State Legislator representing Tikrikilla constituency in the West Garo Hills district, and threatened to kill his son and son-in law in case of his failure to pay the ransom within the deadline of November 5. Rava belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). October 17: Meghalaya Police said that the Nagaland-based NSCN-IM and the LAEF have joined hands to extort money from the coal traders in the South Garo Hills district. B.K. Dey Sawian, the Director General of Police, disclosed that the NSCN-IM has set up a camp in the Balpakram National Park in South Garo Hills with the help of the LAEF to extort money from coal traders in the district. The report added that after the rainy season, coal export to Bangladesh will resume in November in the Nangalbibra area of South Garo Hills, where criminal activities, including extortion and abductions for ransom, occur on a regular basis. While commenting on the recent counter-insurgency operations in the entire Balpakram National Park, Sawian says, "We, however, could not make much progress as the area where the NSCN (I-M) has set up the camp is inaccessible." Balpakaram area has been earlier used by many militant outfits for training and taking shelter. Following the killing of Peter Marak, 'commander-in-chief' of the LAEF, his younger brother Darong Marak has reportedly been trying to strengthen the outfit with the help of the NSCN-IM. Sawian mentions that the State Home Department has asked for intervention of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in the NSCN-IM's activities. October 12: Meghalaya Police informs that there was movement of militants belonging to the NSCN-IM, ULFA and the LAEF in the entire Balpakram National Park of South Garo Hills district. Militants belonging to various outfits had earlier used the park for setting up training camps and also as a safe sanctuary against the troops, because of remoteness of the area and absence of large-scale human habitation along the park. With the annual coal export to start at Nangalbibra in October, militants are suspected to be indulging in a extortion drive. August 30: One LAEF militant, Jackius A Sangma, is arrested by Meghalaya Police from an unspecified place. He confesses that the NSCN-IM militants were providing arms and explosives to their outfit. August 29: Meghalaya Chief Minister D.D. Lapang has sought a report from police on the nexus between the NSCN-IM and LAEF. "I will seek the report from the police department and would act accordingly," Lapang said. Earlier, police said it would lodge a complaint with the Union Government against NSCN-IM for supplying arms and ammunition and imparting guerilla warfare training to the LAEF. The slain "commander-in-chief" of LAEF Peter Marak had revealed that NSCN-IM had provided them with AK rifles, Universal Machine Guns etc, police said. The arrested LAEF cadre, Jackius A Sangma, was found to be involved in arms deal with the NSCN-IM in Nagaland, the police added. August 23: One LAEF militant, Lahat Marak, earlier arrested by police along with two M-20 pistols, 7.5 mm ammunition and 34 rounds of live ammunition of 9-mm pistols on August 2, is granted bail by a local court at Williamnagar. He is reportedly an active member of the ruling Congress party at Williamnagar. August 22: The chief of the Liberation of Achik Elite Force, Peter Marak, is killed in an encounter between militants and police personnel near a hideout of the outfit at a forest near Kalak village in the East Garo Hills district. One Liberation of Achik Elite Force cadre was injured in the encounter. He was reportedly killed while leading the police to one of the outfit’s camps at Kallak, 30 kilometers from Williamnagar town, district headquarters of East Garo Hills. August 21: The chief of the Liberation of Achik Elite Force, Peter Marak, and two of his accomplices are arrested by the Meghalaya Police from an unspecified location between Jorabad and Khanapara in the Ri Bhoi district along the Assam-Meghalaya border. August 7: One cadre of the Liberation of Achik Elite Force involved in an arms deal in Nagaland was reportedly arrested at Shillong in the East Khasi Hills district on an unspecified date. The LAEF cadre, identified as Jackius A Sangma alias Jack, is a close associate of LAEF chairman Peter Marak. He had collected INR 100000 from a person at Williamnagar and taken the amount to Dimapur for purchasing arms. July 4: Two cadres of the LAEF, identified as Jonathan M Sangma and Junjun M Sangma, are shot dead by the Special Operation Team of South Garo Hills police at Dimit in the East Garo Hills district. Two pistols and seven rounds of live ammunition were seized from the slain militants. June 22: Suspected militants belonging to the Liberation of Achik Elite Force lobbed two hand grenades at Tura town and the coal-rich belt of Nangalbibra in South Garo Hills killing one civilian, identified as Sapan Baraj, and injuring 11 others. In Tura, the explosion was triggered by a grenade lobbed into the main entrance of the Super Market by three LAEF militants. Similarly, in Nangalbibra the attackers lobbed the grenade at a shop and injured three persons. The recruitment and training has been taking place since early 2006, the report added. 2006 December 12: The on-going agitation programme of the Garo Students' Union, which is spearheading the demand for holding of the Winter Session of the State Legislative Assembly in Tura, has faced opposition from the LAEF. The outfit has warned the student body against disturbing the festive season. The outfit's 'Convenor cum Publicity Secretary', Chingkam Marak, said although the LAEF supported the demand for the session at Tura, yet, it should not be at the expense of the Garo people's wellbeing. June 13: The Garo Hills police conduct a raid at the residence of the leader of Liberation Achik Elite Front, Peter R Marak, at Songsak in the East Garo Hills district and recover one Chinese hand grenade along with some incriminating documents, including demand notes. However, Peter managed to escape from the incident site. June 6: Two LAEF militants, identified as Xavier P. Marak and Sylseng Marak, are arrested from Williamnagar in the East Garo Hills district.
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