Myanmar hot pursuit signals massive change in India’s strategy
http://idrw.org/myanmar-hot-pursuit-signals-massive-change-in-indias-strategy/
Para commandos of the Indian Army carried out surgical operations deep inside Myanmar early on Tuesday and killed several militants in two camps of northeastern insurgent groups in a covert operation which declared India’s new-found readiness to pre-empt terror threats undeterred by borders.
The Myanmar government was informed hours after the commandos in battle fatigues had mostly completed surgical strikes against the groups which had over the past couple of weeks killed 30 Indian soldiers. The operation, conceived as retaliation as well as the declaration of Modi government’s intent to strike at terror threats across its borders, had begun at 3am but the Indian ambassador could pass on the information to Myanmar’s foreign ministry only after their offices opened at regular hours on Tuesday morning.
The commandos safely returned to Indian territory after silencing the insurgents’ guns in a 13 hour-operation in which IAF choppers and drones assisted the SF (special forces) soldiers.
Minister of state for information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore told Times Now that the hot pursuit was ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said attacks on Indians, be it in Iraq or Yemen, were unacceptable. “This is a message to neighbours who harbour terrorists,” Rathore said.
Announcing the success, the government made it clear that it was not a one-off operation but symbolized its decision not to be constrained by borders and to be pre-emptive in dealing with terror threats. “While ensuring peace and tranquility along the border and in the border states, any threat to our security, safety and national integrity will meet a firm response,” the Army declared officially, a posture that is also applicable to terror groups sheltered by other neighbouring countries.
The troops were guided to two camps of the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) and allied insurgent groups by intelligence which was gathered by operatives who crossed over into Myanmar a couple of days ago and returned with precise co-ordinates of the terror dens along with photographs.
Specific details of the fatalities among the insurgents were not available but sources in home and defence ministries put the toll between 20 and 50.
More than the toll, the daring raid, which saw commandos crawling hundreds of meters to raid the camps, marked the unveiling of India’s new response to unconventional threats irrespective of where they come from. This was the first declared instance of the use of the doctrine of pre-emption: a principle that the US invokes to disregard constraints of national borders to nip threats.
Briefing the reporters after the successful strikes on the camps at two separate locations across Tuensang in Nagaland and Ukhrul in Manipur, Major General Ranbir Singh made no bones of the fact that the twin operations were provoked by the killing of Indian soldiers. More importantly, he said the Army had to move in view of “credible and specific” intelligence about more attacks inside India. “These attacks were to be carried out by some of the groups involved in earlier attacks on our security personnel and their allies,” said General Singh, additional director general of military operations.
“In view of the imminent threat, an immediate response was necessary,” he said.
The General dropped big enough a hint that India had acted unilaterally and that Myanmar was brought into the picture much after the commandos struck the terror camps. The official statement conspicuously refrained from stating that the operation was a joint effort with Myanmar Army and very much suggested that the neighbouring country was just informed of the action and that too well after it had begun. “We are in communication with Myanmar authorities on this matter. There is a history of close cooperation between our two militaries. We look forward to working with them to combat such terrorism,” he said.
Interestingly, India had an agreement with Myanmar to allow troops to enter each other’s territory in search of terrorists, but with consent. However, for Tuesday morning operation, government did not inform Myanmar in advance fearing possible leak of information, given the close contact NSCN (K) has with middle and lower level of Myanmar army.
Government sources said the political leadership cleared the cross-border pursuit because it was considered necessary to lift the morale of the Army after it lost 30 of its men in 3 attacks by insurgents, as well as to send across a message to “perpetrators of terror wherever they are”.
Explaining Modi government’s new stance towards terror threat, a senior official told TOI: “You cannot realistically hope to prevent each terror attack because the timing and the target is determined by the enemy. But how do you respond is your prerogative. And it is the response which defines your determination to use all responses at your disposal to strike at those responsible.”
The cross-border pursuit was in line with Modi government’s decision to give disproportionate response to provocations, which had been visible in Jammu & Kashmir in recent months, where Indian troops have been aggressive in their response to ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
Militants belonging to NSCN (K) and KYKL (Meitei Kanglei Yawol Kunna Lup) were killed in the operation in which Indian troops suffered no casualties. Technical intercepts and reconnaissance missions confirmed the presence of the militants in the two camps, which was kept under surveillance by air force UAVs for hours. Once they were sure of the inputs and with political clearance, Indian Air Force helicopters dropped para commandos deep inside Myanmar late Monday night.
“Following the attack on our security personnel on June 4, 2015 in Chandel, Manipur, we have been on a high alert. In the course of the last few days, credible and specific intelligence was received about further attacks that were being planned within our territory,” Gen Singh said.
Gen Singh said the Indian Army troops “engaged two separate groups of insurgents along the Nagaland and Manipur borders” and “significant casualties have been inflicted on them”.
Commandos from the Army’s SF units have been operating in northeast for the past several weeks, carrying out surgical strikes on militant hideouts. There has been a steady flow of intelligence in recent days about militant groups, under NSCN (K) leadership and with safe havens in Myanmar, stepping up their plans to carry out attacks on security forces. In fact, intelligence agencies suspect that there could be more attacks in the coming days.
Of its 1500 cadres, NSCN (K) has about a 1000 of them in Myanmar. Many are sheltered in about half-dozen camps closer to the Indian border, while its leadership and most cadres are based in Taga area of Myanmar.
Some intelligence inputs have said that Chinese PLA officers played a role in bringing together various insurgent groups in northeast together for a meeting in April in Taga area. Though only three outfits signed the pact announcing the United National Liberation Front of West South East Asia – NSCN(K), ULFA faction headed by Paresh Baruah and Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO) – several others agreed verbally to work together.
