Rashna
Senior Member
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2015
- Messages
- 2,259
- Likes
- 704
Myanmar support gives NE rebels a shot in the arm
NEW DELHI: Escalating violence in the northeast in recent times leading up to Thursday's deadly ambush on army soldiers raises serious questions over the government strategy to let NSCN (K) walk out from a 14-year-old ceasefire in March.
Adding to the anxiety of security agencies, latest inputs from Myanmar show significant official support to the Naga rebel group, which has almost completely shifted its armed cadres to the neighbouring country. Early this week, NSCN (K) chief SS Kaplang was airlifted to a hospital in Yangon with state assistance, sources say.
When Kaplang-led rebel group pulled out of the ceasefire, New Delhi did not show any alacrity to get them back to the agreement. Reasons could have been many, including rampant extortion by its cadres and lack of a political breakthrough despite 14 years of ceasefire.
The fallout of the Kaplang faction walking out of the ceasefire has been deadly. Incidence of violence has gone up since the collapse of ceasefire, with the army and militants taking aggressive postures. The killing of at least 20 soldiers on Thursday, some 80 km from Imphal is the deadliest attack on Indian soldiers in recent memory, and the biggest army casualty in northeast in over three decades.
READ ALSO: Ulfa owns Manipur ambush that killed 20 jawans
In the first week of May, militants laid an ambush in Mon district of Nagaland, when 18 soldiers of the 23rd battalion of Assam Rifles were going to collect water from a stream. Of the eight soldiers killed, seven were from 23rd Assam Rifles and one jawan from 164 Territorial Army battalion. On March 21, NSCN (K) militants killed two Army soldiers in Tamenglong district of Manipur.
The Army has also been carrying out proactive operations. On May 1, para commandos and soldiers of 9 Dogra carried out an operation in which four NSCN (K) members were killed in Tamenglong district.
READ ALSO: Govt asks Army to go all-out against NE rebels
Sources in the army and intelligence had warned of such attacks if the government did not take concrete political steps. The level of violence this time is far higher than the region has witnessed in recent years of Naga insurgency.
Nagaland and surrounding areas have had relative peace in recent years, thanks mostly to the ceasefire in place between New Delhi and the three key NSCN factions—IM, Kaplang and Khole-Kitovi.
Army sources said Thursday's attacks may not have been directly carried out by NSCN (K), but it may have got another group to carry out the operation. Ever since the ceasefire collapsed, about 400 cadres of NSCN (K) have shifted base to Myanmar.
According to indications emerging from Myanmar, the Kaplang faction enjoys official blessings. Evacuation of Kaplang, who is still in a hospital in Yangon, wouldn't have been possible without state support, sources say.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...get&utm_medium=Int_Ref&utm_campaign=TOI_AShow
NEW DELHI: Escalating violence in the northeast in recent times leading up to Thursday's deadly ambush on army soldiers raises serious questions over the government strategy to let NSCN (K) walk out from a 14-year-old ceasefire in March.
Adding to the anxiety of security agencies, latest inputs from Myanmar show significant official support to the Naga rebel group, which has almost completely shifted its armed cadres to the neighbouring country. Early this week, NSCN (K) chief SS Kaplang was airlifted to a hospital in Yangon with state assistance, sources say.
When Kaplang-led rebel group pulled out of the ceasefire, New Delhi did not show any alacrity to get them back to the agreement. Reasons could have been many, including rampant extortion by its cadres and lack of a political breakthrough despite 14 years of ceasefire.
The fallout of the Kaplang faction walking out of the ceasefire has been deadly. Incidence of violence has gone up since the collapse of ceasefire, with the army and militants taking aggressive postures. The killing of at least 20 soldiers on Thursday, some 80 km from Imphal is the deadliest attack on Indian soldiers in recent memory, and the biggest army casualty in northeast in over three decades.
READ ALSO: Ulfa owns Manipur ambush that killed 20 jawans
In the first week of May, militants laid an ambush in Mon district of Nagaland, when 18 soldiers of the 23rd battalion of Assam Rifles were going to collect water from a stream. Of the eight soldiers killed, seven were from 23rd Assam Rifles and one jawan from 164 Territorial Army battalion. On March 21, NSCN (K) militants killed two Army soldiers in Tamenglong district of Manipur.
The Army has also been carrying out proactive operations. On May 1, para commandos and soldiers of 9 Dogra carried out an operation in which four NSCN (K) members were killed in Tamenglong district.
READ ALSO: Govt asks Army to go all-out against NE rebels
Sources in the army and intelligence had warned of such attacks if the government did not take concrete political steps. The level of violence this time is far higher than the region has witnessed in recent years of Naga insurgency.
Nagaland and surrounding areas have had relative peace in recent years, thanks mostly to the ceasefire in place between New Delhi and the three key NSCN factions—IM, Kaplang and Khole-Kitovi.
Army sources said Thursday's attacks may not have been directly carried out by NSCN (K), but it may have got another group to carry out the operation. Ever since the ceasefire collapsed, about 400 cadres of NSCN (K) have shifted base to Myanmar.
According to indications emerging from Myanmar, the Kaplang faction enjoys official blessings. Evacuation of Kaplang, who is still in a hospital in Yangon, wouldn't have been possible without state support, sources say.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...get&utm_medium=Int_Ref&utm_campaign=TOI_AShow
