New Delhi: The Indian armed forces early Tuesday carried out surgical operations inside Myanmar to target militant groups believed to be responsible for last week's deadly ambush in Manipur that killed 18 soldiers of the Army's 6 Dogra Regiment.
The cross-border operation was the first of its kind and was conducted by special forces of the Indian Army in coordination with the Air Force. Government sources said between 15 to 20 militants are believed to have been killed in the operation.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, a former colonel, said later in the day that surgical strikes were a signal to other nieghbours.
"This is a message to all such neighbours who harbour terror intentions. Friendship and zero tolerance (towards terror) will go hand-in-hand. This is a beginning. This message should go to everyone," Rathore said.
The minister described the strike as "unprecedented and extremely bold" by the government and revealed that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had ordered hot pursuit in two militant camps located across the border in Myanmar.
The camps were completely annhilated, the minister added.
Rathore asserted that "any threat to our security, safety and national integrity will meet a firm response" while ensuring peace and tranquility along the border and in the border states.
Asked whether such strikes could be carried out on the western border also, the minister said, "Western disturbances will also be equally dealt with."
During the cross-border operation, elite commandos of the Army went a few kilometres inside the Myanmar territory to destroy two camps of insurgents hiding there after their attacks in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh last week by NSCN(K) and KYKL outfits.
The operation was guided by "specific and precise" intelligence input, highly placed sources said.
About 15 to 20 insurgents were killed in the assault, sources said, adding there were no casualties among the Indian soldiers.
Disclosing the operation's details, Major General Ranbir Singh, Additional Director General Military Operations, said the Army had been on "high alert" following the Manipur attack on June 4.
In the course of last few days, "credible and specific intelligence" was received about further attacks that were being planned within Indian territory, he added.
"These attacks were to be carried out by some of the groups involved in earlier attacks on our security personnel and their allies," he told reporters here while briefing on the operation without taking any questions.
"In view of the imminent threat, an immediate response was necessary. Based on intelligence, we conducted operations to counter these planned assaults," Maj Gen Singh added.
While Maj Gen Singh said the operation was carried out "along the Indo-Myanmar border at two locations, along the Nagaland and Manipur borders", sources said the strike was carried out inside Myanmar with the coordination of local authorities.
This is the first time that the Indian Army carried out a cross-border commando action, which marks the pro-active approach against terror, sources said about the retaliation planned ever since the insurgents struck in Manipur.
As part of an exercise to fine-tune the strike, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had dropped out of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's June 6-7 visit to Bangladesh, sources said.
According to them, the operation was guided by "specific and precise intelligence" and there was a heavy exchange of fire between the commandos and insurgents.
"Significant casualties have been inflicted on them (insurgents). As a consequence, threats to our civilian population and security forces were averted," Maj Gen Singh said.
Sources underlined that it was a retaliatory action after the deadly ambush in Chandel in Manipur on June 4 when 18 soldiers were killed.
It was noticed that insurgents would sneak in from across the border to carry out their strikes and then return there, they said while justifying the cross-border assault.
"We are in communication with the Myanmar authorities on this matter. There is a history to close cooperation between our two militaries. We look forward to working with them to combat such terrorism," Maj Gen Singh said.
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 the so-called 'United Liberation Front of South East Asia'.
