Days After Manipur Ambush, Army
Hits Militants Across the Myanmar
Border in Joint Operation With Air
Force.
Story first published: Jun 09, 2015 18:19 IST
Reported by Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Edited by
Abhinav Bhatt | Updated: Jun 09, 2015 21:46
IST
New Delhi: The Indian Army, in a joint
operation with the Air Force, engaged groups
of militants at two locations on the Indo-
Myanmar border today and said it had
inflicted "significant casualties." Initial
reports suggest that about 50 or more
militants have been killed in the operations.
Sources said among the militants killed today
are those behind last week's ambush of an
Army convoy in which 18 soldiers were killed
in Manipur's Chandel district, the deadliest
attack on security forces in two decades.
Starson Lamkang of the National Socialist
Council of Nagaland or NSCN(K), who is
suspected to have played a key role in
organising the June 4 ambush, is reportedly
injured in today's operations.
Mi-17 helicopters of the Air Force were
deployed and, sources said, the Assam Rifles
and the Army's Special Forces - 21 Para (SF)
- carried out surgical strikes inside Myanmar,
where the militants had fled to, entering
about 2 km into the neighbouring country,
something that was not confirmed by the
Army.
"It is not like a kabaddi match where you can
come in and go back. We will cross over and
we will hit, we were supported by the
Myanmar army," Minister of State for
Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan
Singh Rathore told NDTV.
Major General Ranvir Songj said today's
operations followed "very credible and
specific intelligence" that the militants were
planning to carry out more attacks. "Early
this morning, the Indian Army engaged two
separate groups of insurgents along the
Indo-Myanmar border at two locations, along
the Nagaland and Manipur borders.
Significant casualties have been inflicted on
them. As a consequence, threats to our
civilian population and security forces were
averted," the General said.
Sources said the operations took place in
Ukhrul, Manipur, and in Tuensang district of
Nagaland, where a mixed group of militants
attempted to infiltrate into India.
Militants belonging to People's Liberation
Army (PLA), United National Liberation Front
(UNLF) and Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL)
have been killed.
The Army has said it is "in communication
with Myanmar authorities and look forward
to working with them to combat terrorism."
General Songj said the Army would firmly
deal with any threat to India's security.
Days After Manipur Ambush, Army Hits Militants Across the Myanmar Border in Joint Operation With Air Force - NDTV