Army conducts operations against Naga insurgents along Myanmar border

NEW DELHI: The Indian Army said on Wednesday that it inflicted heavy casualties on the insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) (K) in an operation earlier in the day on the India-Myanmar border.

The Army's Eastern Command made clear it didn't cross the international border.

The Army further said a firefight was triggered after a column of the Indian Army was attacked by insurgents.

"Own troops reacted swiftly and brought down heavy retaliatory fire on the insurgents," said an Army statement.

The Army said Wednesday's small operation was nothing like the Special Forces' cross-border raid to destroy two Naga insurgent camps inside Myanmar in June 2015. It added that a few media reports of casualties suffered by the Army were factually incorrect.

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"Firefight occurred along Indo-Myanmar border at 0445 hrs today," tweeted the Eastern Air Command.



Earlier this month, the Army carried out a major operation against the NSCN (K) near the Indo-Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh. At the time, the Army destroyed a temporary hideout of the militants and recovered an AK-47 rifle, ammunition and radio sets in the operation near Votnu village in Longding district, a senior army official said.

Myanmar is one of India's strategic neighbours and shares a 1,640-km-long border with a number of northeastern states including Arunachal Pradesh, militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.

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Army sources said similar operations against NSCN (K) have been taking place in Changlang and Kunnu areas since late Augusr. An NSCN (K) militant was killed near Kunnu village on September 1.

India has been concerned over some militant groups from the Northeast region taking shelter in Myanmar. The country has been assuring India that it would not allow any insurgent group to use its territory against India.

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In June, 2015, the Indian Army had carried out an operation in areas near the India-Myanmar against the NSCN (K) militants, days after militants had killed 18 Army men in Manipur.