Myanmar hot pursuit: Death count is 20 say army sources

New Delhi, June 11: The Indian army carried out an operation to flush out militants along the Myanmar border two days back. The operation which lasted exactly 45 minutes has been termed as a major success and does convey a strong message to militants seeking to make Myanmar their safe home.

However what is the real death count? How many terrorists has the Indian army managed to kill. Sources in the defence ministry say that as per the information they have obtained from the army, the death count is 20.

20 dies in Myanmar hot pursuit

The Indian army has informed that the death count during the hot pursuit they carried out along the Myanmar border stands as 20. The army also says that in the pursuit, 15 militants were injured seriously while 12 has sustained minor injuries.

However the army says that the death of 20 persons is an achievement and these were members of the NSCN(K) which had carried out the Manipur ambush. Most of them were involved in that ambush, sources also informed OneIndia.

The army says that the militants did attempt to retaliate but no army personnel from India was injured during the pursuit. This was stage one of the operation and there will be many more such strikes, the army officials pointed out.

We will ensure that the border is secured and no militant will be able to operate along it, the army officer further stated.

A-45 minute operation

When the army set out on this hot pursuit, it had decided that this would be a short and successful operation. We were operating on international borders and hence the operation had to be precise and quick. The entire operation lasted 45 minutes and there were precision strikes on the militants.

The army also confirms that none of its soldiers were heli-dropped. It was meant to be a covert operation and heli-dropping the soldiers would have raised an alarm among the militants. Our intention was to strike with precision from the ground and get out of there, the officer also added.

The element of surprise was important in this attack. The targeted militant camps at Aungzeya and Ponyu had housed around 40 militants. The idea was to hit them with precision. What was important was the speed and the secrecy with which the hot pursuit was carried out, the officials further added.

OneIndia News