Myanmar denies Indian commandos hit rebel bases inside its territory

Myanmar has maintained that Indian forces carried out an attack on insurgents inside the Indian territory, adding it would not tolerate rebel groups using its soil to attack neighbours.

India Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 10 June 2015, 07:48 PM
Updated : 10 June 2015, 07:48 PM

In a Facebook post, Zaw Htay, director of Myanmar’s presidential office, said, “According to the information sent by Tatmadaw (Myanmar army) battalions on the ground, we have learned that the military operation was performed on the Indian side at India-Myanmar border.”

“Myanmar will not accept any foreigner who attacks neighbouring countries in the back and creates problems by using our own territory,” he added.

The official’s remarks came in the wake of statements by ministers in India that special forces of the army had carried out a surgical strike inside Myanmar to destroy two camps of insurgents hiding there.

Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who dropped out of PM Narendra Modi's entourage to Dhaka at the last minute to plan this covert strike involving parachute commandos, will visit Myanmar soon, sources in New Delhi said.

"Possibly he will have to do some real solid damage control. Our ministers by their chest thumping have embarrassed a friendly neighbour who looked the other way," said a top intelligence official.

Maj Gen Randhir Singh says they inflicted significant casualties on the rebels

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore

Though the Indian Army had first said the strikes were inside Indian territory in Manipur and Nagaland states, the country's junior information minister RS Rathore contended the attack on the rebel bases were far inside Myanmar.

Details of the ‘Operation All Out’ were leaked out to the media in what many felt was an obvious attempt by the Modi government to send a "strong signal" to Pakistan.

That seems to have backfired, with Pakistan's home minister Chadhury Nisar Ali Khan saying "Pakistan is not Myanmar and we can give India a fitting reply for any such adventure".

Pakistan Army chief General Raheel Sharif has also warned India, saying "none could cast an evil eye on Pakistan".

"But this chest thumping would seriously embarrass Myanmar and hence this statement denying Indian operations in their territory," said analyst Sandeep Unnithan.