Myanmar Army's operation on Indian insurgent groups underway: Eastern Army Cdr

Kolkata: The Myanmar Army's crackdown on the Indian insurgent groups taking shelter in the neighbouring country continues as talks between India and Myanmar have resulted in much progress with the Myanmar government being on the Indian side, said Eastern Command General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane on Monday.

His assertion assumes significance as the Indo-Myanmar border falls under the Eastern Command.

Lt Gen Naravane also warned the North East based militant groups to "rein in their rogue elements" to avoid ceasefire violations in the region where he called the situation has become "normal" now.

"We have been talking to the Myanmar government. In fact, we have made a lot of progress. As we speak, operations are already on inside Myanmar by the Myanmar Army," he said at the Eastern Command Headquarters: Fort William after inaugurating a continuous ambient air quality monitoring system there.

Lt Gen Naravane elaborated, "They are operating against the Indian insurgents who are filtering in their country. So that is very much on. And the Myanmar government is very much on our side as far as not giving shelter to terrorists are concerned and not allowing any terrorist action to take place and emanate from their side."

On the recent violence by the militant groups in North East, he added, "These incidents will keep happening from time to time. We are at it. Operations and situation are nothing serious. Everything is very much under control. All is normal. There is nothing alarming or really much to write home about it."

Asked about the ceasefire violation by militant outfit: NSCN-IM in Manipur recently the Eastern Army Commander explained, "Ceasefire with the NSCN is there but there are always certain rogue elements in these groups which do not abide by their own higher command or the chain of command unlike the army where we are very strict in implementing orders."

He observed, "The rogue elements are the ones who are doing these activities. It is up to the groups to rein in their rogue elements lest things spiral out of control." Lt Gen Naravane, however, described the possibility of fresh trouble in the region as "speculative."