|
Army operations in Manipur claim 126 rebels |
 |
The Indian Army has said it had killed 126 separatists and captured 459 more during counter-insurgency operations that began last October in the northeastern State of Manipur.
Army columns have busted several key rebel bases belonging to outfits like the outlawed United National Liberation Front (UNLF), the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL) since the military offensive began three months ago.
“It is due to sustained operations conducted by the security forces that there is a marked improvement in the ground situation and the civil administration has started functioning in the remote areas after a gap of nearly seven years,” a statement said.
Manipur, one of the seven northeastern States, is a hotbed of ethnic and tribal groups fighting for autonomy or independence. There are at least 19 rebel groups active in the State that borders Myanmar.
Soldiers over the weekend overran a major PLA base and seized a large cache of weapons - 68 rifles, four carbines, besides grenades and mortars.
“This huge haul is just a drop in the ocean as several such caches lie unearthed. In fact this recovery alone is sufficient to equip a sub-unit of an army,” the statement said.
Despite the success, the Army is worried as the rebels posses a wide array of sophisticated weapons and explosives, including anti-aircraft guns, anti-tank rocket launchers, mines, and mortars, capable of carrying out mass casualties.
“The total cadre strength of militants in Manipur is estimated to be several thousand and they possess latest weapons like AK-47, AK-56, M-16, M-21, sniper rifles, machine guns, lathode-grenade launchers, 60 mm and 81 mm mortars and even anti-aircraft guns,” the statement said.
“They also have a large amount of explosives to fabricate improvised explosive devices.”
The Army said it had the “rebels on the run” and they were unable to sneak into Myanmar because the military regime has sealed the border with India.
Yangon had earlier agreed to cooperate in fighting terrorism. Myanmar military leader Than Shwe, who was in New Delhi late last year, pledged not to allow his country to be used for anti-India activities.
Many of the rebel armies in India’s northeast are believed to have bases in northern Myanmar.
|
