Terror camps hit along Myanmar border

New Delhi: Indian and Myanmar Armies launched a co-ordinated operation to destroy around 10 camps set up by the terrorist organisation, Arakan Army, which was becoming a threat to India’s mega Kaladan transit and transport project being constructed in the neighbouring country.

The Kaladan transit and transport project, which is funded by India, is a multi-modal sea, river, and road transport corridor that will connect the landlocked Northeast to Kolkata port through Myanmar.

The project will reduce pressure on the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken’s Neck, which currently connects the Northeast with the rest of India.

These camps were mostly located on Mizoram-Myanmar border in the neighbouring country.

During the operation, which was carried out between 17 February and 2 March, all the camps set up by the insurgent group were destroyed.

“Indian soldiers did not move into Myanmar, but they were heavily deployed on the border so that these terrorists, being hit by Myanmar Army, did not sneak into India. All the camps of the Arakan Army were wiped out and the makeshift camps were also burnt down,” said sources.

India provided intelligence inputs critical for the success of the operations.

Arakan Army has been trained by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which is designated as a terrorist outfit by Myanmar.

The Arakan Army had left its bases at Kachin area in North Myanmar and had started to move down South.

Intelligence agencies had found that some 1,000 members of the Arakan Army had set up camps near the Kaladan project and had become a threat to it and Indian workers working on the project.

The intelligence inputs, which were received, were indicating that some members of the Arakan Army could also sneak into India posing a security threat to the country.

India and Myanmar were concerned over setting up of camps by these terrorists. Armies of both the countries had a series of meetings to chalk out a plan to launch a co-ordinated operation to destroy these camps. As per the plan, India moved its troops on the border alongwith surveillance equipments, including drones.

India is investing Rs 2,904 crore for the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar, which will be ready by 2020.