Indian Army Deports 39 Myanmar Army Personnel After Gunbattle with Rebels
Guwahati: The Indian Army on Tuesday deported 39 Myanmar army personnel who fled their country and entered Mizoram with over 5000 refugees after a fierce gunbattle between rebel outfits and the military and subsequent bombing at two villages across the border close to the international border with India.
Informing that among those entered India 21 had sustained injuries in the gunfight, security sources said that cadres from rebel outfits like Peoples Defence Force, Chinland Defence Force and Chin National Army attacked Myanmar army posts at Rihkhawdar and Khawmawi, villages close to Zokhawthar in Champhai district of Mizoram on Sunday night.
This resulted in retaliatory gunfire that continued throughout the night which led to residents fleeing to the Indian side by crossing the Tiau river that demarcates the border between the two countries.
Indicating that the rebel outfits had taken over the control of the military posts that forced the army personnel to flee for safety, security sources said that in retaliatory attack Myanmar army on Monday bombed the border areas, which forced remaining residents of the two villages, around 5,000 of them, to enter India via Zokhawthar seeking shelter.
Informing that Young Mizo Association was extending humanitarian help to the injured civilians, security sources said that many Myanmar citizens have been admitted in the hospital at Aizawl.
The Inspector General of Police (headquarters) Mizoram police Lalbiakthanga Khiangte told reporters, “Along with the 5,000 Myanmar nationals, 39 army personnel from the neighbouring country also entered India on Monday evening and surrendered before the Mizoram police at Zokhawthar.”
He said that according to directions of the union home ministry, they were handed over to Assam Rifles which deported them back to Myanmar.
He said, “Among the 5,000 people who entered India, 21 had sustained injuries. Eight of them who were seriously injured were shifted to Aizawl for treatment while the rest are admitted at the district hospital in Champhai.”
Security sources said that all 39 army personnel from neighbouring country were deported by an Indian Air Force (IAF) plane on Tuesday.
Security sources said that one elderly person, a Myanmar national who had entered India last year and was residing in Zokhawthar, was injured by a stray bullet from the Myanmar side. He later died at a Champhai hospital on Monday.
There were no more incidents of gunfighting and the situation was peaceful since Monday, security sources said, adding that the ministry of home affairs was keeping a close watch on the situation.
