Myanmar offensive lesson to terror groups, says govt

TNS & Agencies

New Delhi, June 10

A day after the Indian Army carried out a first-of-its-kind surgical strike in Myanmar, the government today affirmed “zero tolerance” towards terror saying its response was a “lesson” to all militant groups that it would not hesitate in going beyond its borders to eliminate terrorists.

This comes as China dismissed reports of its Army officials’ alleged links to a militant group involved in an attack on Indian troops in Manipur on June 4. Pakistan, however, said it was “not like Myanmar” and would not be cowed down by threats from across the border.

A crack team of 70 elite commandos of 21 Para Special Forces struck two rebel camps in Myanmar yesterday, finishing the operation within 40 minutes. The decision to conduct the strike was taken hours after the Naga militants killed 18 soldiers in Manipur and clearance was obtained from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 7, soon after his return from Bangladesh, said sources.

Myanmar, however, claimed the attack on insurgents took place inside the Indian territory and that it would not tolerate rebel groups using its soil to attack neighbours.

In Mumbai, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said: “The military’s action against insurgents with assistance from the Myanmar government speaks volumes about India’s resolve to fight terror. This is a lesson and a message to all terror groups that India will not hesitate in going beyond its geographical borders to eliminate terrorists.” Senior minister Nitin Gadkari, at a briefing on the Union Cabinet meeting, said: “It is already clear that we have a zero tolerance towards terror and terror organisation.”

I&B Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had yesterday said: “This message is now very clear to all those who harboured intentions of terror on our country. Unprecedented though, but our PM has taken a very bold step and given a go ahead for hot pursuit into Myanmar.”

Reacting to Rathore’s remarks, Pakistan Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan said in Islamabad it should be clear to India that “Pakistan is not a country like Myanmar”.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: “The Chinese government consistently upholds non-interference in other country’s internal affairs, and will not support any anti-government forces in any country.”

Earlier, Chinese officials from state-run think-tanks refuted allegations of People’s Liberation Army assisting militants in the North-East, saying such charges are “absurd”. The Indian Army and intelligence agencies have classified 20 areas in Myanmar as “camps” of North-East insurgents groups. Targeting all camps at once is not possible and forces will wait for the surprise element, a source said.

The camps are based 5 to 55 km inside Myanmar and are used as bases by insurgents who are fuelled by a constant supply of money from extortion and levy of unlawful “entry taxes”, the Indian Government has been informed.

The writ of the Myanmar government does not run in these forested areas. India and Myanmar have an open border. The targeted camps were identified after an assessment using high-resolution pictures from UAVs. In one of the camps, the Army teams chased down a group of 15 rebels.

Sources said Taga, 55 km inside Myanmar, is the headquarters of the rebels who have formed an umbrella organisation, the United Liberation Front of West South East Asia (UNLFW). The Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) chaired by SS Khaplang, a Burmese Naga, is the main constituent.