The Indian Army on Wednesday shot down several Naga insurgents belonging to the NSCN-Khaplang or NSCN(K) militant group along the India-Myanmar border in the wee hours of morning even as it refuted claims of carrying out a ‘surgical strike’ or the Indian troops crossing over the international border.
“In the early morning hours of 27 September, a column of Indian Army while operating India-Myanmar border was fired upon by unidentified insurgents. Own troops reacted swiftly and brought down heavy retaliatory fire on the insurgents. The insurgents then broke contact and fled from the spot,” said a statement issued by the Eastern Command.
The operation took place in Long khu near Mon district along India-Myanmar border, according to the IDGP Nagaland LL Doungel. While the Indian Army did not suffer any casualties, the insurgents suffered a huge loss of men.
“As per inputs, a large number of casualties were suffered by the insurgents. Own troops suffered no casualties during the firefight. It is reiterated that own troops did not cross the international border,” the statement added.
The strike was carried out by a team of 70 commandos of the Para Regiment against NSCN-K, sources told BusinessLine.
In 2015, the Indian Army had conducted operations along the India-Myanmar border wherein it had launched two separate attacks along the border in Nagaland and Manipur in a pre-emptive move to counter planned assaults on the Indian armed forces and damaged their camps.
“Heavy casualties reportedly inflicted on NSCN(K) cadre. No casualties suffered by Indian Security Forces,” Army’s Eastern Command said in a tweet.
Detailed statement attached pic.twitter.com/nbLYMLCqxQ
— EasternCommand_IA (@easterncomd) September 27, 2017
Earlier this month, special forces of the Indian Army had carried out an operation against the NSCN-K in Longding district in Arunachal Pradesh along the India-Myanmar border in which one NSCN-K cadre got killed and one soldier was injured. In that operation, the Army had recovered an AK-56, a radio set, a hand grenade and live bullets.
Since then the Army had been carrying out a combing operation across the entire India-Myanmar border.