Army commandos of 21 Para entered Myanmar to kill Northeast terrorists

New Delhi: Sending out a strong message that terror groups based outside the Indian borders are no longer safe, the Indian Army Special Forces early on Tuesday morning launched a surgical strike at two bases of Northeast insurgent groups inside Myanmar and killed several ultras. Units of Army's 21 Para Special Forces in collaboration with the Indian Air Force undertook the operation inside Myanmar following the June 4 Manipur ambush in with Northeast terrorists killed 18 soldier of 6 Dogra Regiment.

Over 20 insurgents were killed and 11 were seriously injured in the operation. Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) were used in the action that was carried out by the 21 Para. The crackdown on the terrorists took place between 1AM to 4AM on Tuesday and the surgical strike was completed within 30 minutes.

The Indian choppers did not cross into Myanmar airspace in the joint operation between the two countries. The commando teams were dropped into the Indian territory and they marched and crawled towards the bases of the terror groups.

Causality figures in the operation are likely to rise as heavy damage was inflicted on the terrorists. Two terror bases on Manipur-Myanmar and Myanmar-Nagaland border were targeted and completely destroyed.

Lauding the Indian Army and Indian Air Force for the well coordinated and surgically executed operation in Myanmar in which at least 20 terrorists were killed, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Colonel (retired) Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ordered "hot pursuit".

Two rebel camps belonging to Northeast insurgent groups who had ambushed a convoy of 6 Dogra Regiment in Chandel district of Manipur on June 4 were completely annihilated by the Indian Army inside Myanmar on Tuesday.

Colonel (retired) Rathore said the surgical strike inside Myanmar was an "unprecedented" and "extremely bold" step by the government.

Asserting that attacks on Indians are not acceptable anywhere, the minister said that based on effective intelligence "we will carry out surgical strikes at the place and time of our own choosing".