<div><div>Indian Army on Wednesday launched a major strike on the Naga insurgents near the Myanmar border, inflicting “heavy casualties” on the rebels in the North East.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>While neither the defence ministry nor the Indian Army disclosed the number of ultras killed in the early morning operation in the forests near the Indo-Myanmar border, there are unconfirmed reports of nearly 12 NSCN (K) men being gunned down by the troops.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>“A column of Indian Army while operating along the Indo-Myanmar border was fired upon by unidentified insurgents. Our troops reacted swiftly and brought down heavy retaliatory fire on the insurgents. The insurgents then broke contact and fled from the spot,” Kolkata-based Eastern Command of the Indian Army said in an official statement.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>“As per inputs, a large number of casualties were suffered by the insurgents. Our troops suffered no casualties during the firefight,” the statement said. The operation in Long Khu near Mon district of Nagaland took place around 4.45 AM.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>Indian Army officials in Delhi and Kolkata denied the operation being a surgical strike inside the Myanmar territory.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>“Our troops did not cross the international border,” said the eastern command statement.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>This is the second major offensive against the NSCN (Khaplang) militants in a month.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Myanmar in the first week of September, there was another Army ambush on the Naga rebels in which at least one was killed and another one was injured.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>That operation involving Indian Army Special Forces took place at Wakka in the Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh, near India's border with Myanmar. Indian Army didn't disclose the identity of the unit involved in Wednesday operation.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>While gunfight with the insurgents happened for decades in the forested hills and plains of the northeast, the extent confrontation with the Naga militants enhanced since 2015 when the Army is believed to have carried out a surgical strike on the Naga militants inside the Myanmar territory, to avenge the killing of 18 soldiers, who were ambushed at Chandel in Manipur.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>Army maintained the operation to take revenge happened near the Indo-Myanmar border and not inside the territory of another country.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>A year later, Naga insurgents in August 2016 claimed that Indian army commandos crossed inside Myanmar territory and attacked an NSCN (K) camp – a charge that was denied by the Indian Army, which maintained the operation took place inside the Indian territory.</div></div>
<div><div>Indian Army on Wednesday launched a major strike on the Naga insurgents near the Myanmar border, inflicting “heavy casualties” on the rebels in the North East.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>While neither the defence ministry nor the Indian Army disclosed the number of ultras killed in the early morning operation in the forests near the Indo-Myanmar border, there are unconfirmed reports of nearly 12 NSCN (K) men being gunned down by the troops.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>“A column of Indian Army while operating along the Indo-Myanmar border was fired upon by unidentified insurgents. Our troops reacted swiftly and brought down heavy retaliatory fire on the insurgents. The insurgents then broke contact and fled from the spot,” Kolkata-based Eastern Command of the Indian Army said in an official statement.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>“As per inputs, a large number of casualties were suffered by the insurgents. Our troops suffered no casualties during the firefight,” the statement said. The operation in Long Khu near Mon district of Nagaland took place around 4.45 AM.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>Indian Army officials in Delhi and Kolkata denied the operation being a surgical strike inside the Myanmar territory.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>“Our troops did not cross the international border,” said the eastern command statement.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>This is the second major offensive against the NSCN (Khaplang) militants in a month.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Myanmar in the first week of September, there was another Army ambush on the Naga rebels in which at least one was killed and another one was injured.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>That operation involving Indian Army Special Forces took place at Wakka in the Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh, near India's border with Myanmar. Indian Army didn't disclose the identity of the unit involved in Wednesday operation.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>While gunfight with the insurgents happened for decades in the forested hills and plains of the northeast, the extent confrontation with the Naga militants enhanced since 2015 when the Army is believed to have carried out a surgical strike on the Naga militants inside the Myanmar territory, to avenge the killing of 18 soldiers, who were ambushed at Chandel in Manipur.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><div>Army maintained the operation to take revenge happened near the Indo-Myanmar border and not inside the territory of another country.</div><div><br /></div></div><div>A year later, Naga insurgents in August 2016 claimed that Indian army commandos crossed inside Myanmar territory and attacked an NSCN (K) camp – a charge that was denied by the Indian Army, which maintained the operation took place inside the Indian territory.</div></div>
