ITBP or Assam Rifles may be deployed to man border with Myanmar

In the wake of the killing of 18 Armymen in Manipur, government plans to deploy either Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) or Assam Rifles for manning the 389-km-long Indo-Myanmar border in the state.

Talking about recent breakdown of ceasefire with Naga insurgent group NSCN-K, highly-placed sources in the Home Ministry said that there are "external angles to it as well."

The remarks came in response to a question whether Pakistan's ISI has got active in the area and influenced the Khaplang faction of NSCN into withdrawing from the ceasefire agreement with the Centre.

The ceasefire had never been followed up by dialogue, following cessation of armed clashes because of "compulsions" of NSCN-K group, the sources said.

The sources said that government is now planning to place NSCN-K under the banned list of terrorist organisation after the June four killing of 18 Armymen in Chandel area of Manipur.

Referring to recent visit of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to Myanmar, the sources said he had been assured by Myanmarese side that its soil will not be used for any anti-India activities.

They said there was a need for augmenting forces along the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur and a committee, which will look into the issue, had been formed.

The committee is expected to give its report next week and there was a possibility that the manning of the border will either be entrusted to ITBP, border guarding force along Sino-India border, or Assam Rifles.

The sources said Myanmarese army has come closer to the Indian border in a bid to choke the supply route of insurgents after surgical strikes by Indian forces earlier this month.

The presence of Myanmmar's forces has helped increase vigil along the border with Indian forces already keeping a hawk's eye on the movement of insurgents in hilly areas, they said.

The coming of the two forces closer to each other on either side of the border will also increase the understanding between them which will further facilitate smooth carrying out of operations against the insurgents, they said.

In an attack claimed to be surgical strikes, Indian army commandos had hit two camps of insurgents at two locations along Nagaland and Manipur borders with Myanmmar, inflicting serious damage on insurgents.

However, there was no clarity on the number of insurgents killed in the attack carried out by the army.

NSCN(K), which reneged from a ceasefire in March, has been involved in a series of attacks in tandem with some other militant groups under the banner of 'United Liberation Front of South East Asia'.