Conflicts on the eastern front

Like some previous operations against separatist rebels by the Indian Army, the latest one against the Naga outfit NSCN(K) has fuelled speculation about the place of occurrence and casualties. While certain aspects remain sketchy, the inputs so far would seem to suggest that early morning on September 27 there was a heavy exchange of fire between Naga rebels and a column of the Indian army near the Indo-Myanmar border. The lid was off after Isak Sumi, a senior functionary of the NSCN(K), bombarded the social media with claims that three personnel of the Army had been killed in the encounter at Lankhu village, about 12 kilometres from the border in Myanmar.

A few hours later, the Indian Army issued a release confirming the incident but insisted that it happened “along Indo-Myanmar border”. It was an operation come true — the entire squad scampered back to safety, but not before inflicting heavy casualties on NSCN(K). 

The trickle of information so far seems to suggest that the encounter took place in Myanmar some distance away from the border. If Sumi’s claims are true, then Lankhu is across several Konyak Naga inhabited villages like Loji and Lonkai in the northern zone of Myanmar’s Sagaing Division where the presence of the government is negligible. Going to this settlement, executing an operation and marching back would mean traversing a hilly trek of at least 40 kms which could take up an entire day. This indicates a well-planned operation by the Army unit that came under a shower of bullets early morning as it walked into an ambush laid by the rebels. According to a reliable version, both sides have suffered casualties in the encounter that ended only late morning. The Army exited through Nagaland’s Mon after destroying the abandoned makeshift camp. Such encounters are not uncommon along the Indo-Myanmar border, and especially along the stretch in Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh where the separatist outfits are active. The border is hilly and forested that blurs the line of demarcation at many points.

On many occasions earlier, the Indian Army is alleged to have ventured into Myanmarese territory for demolition of camps. Late in 2011, elderly residents at a village called Hoyat opposite Mon narrated tales to this correspondent about the hot pursuit of militants across the border by the Assam Rifles. But the bigger ones still exist in the remote mountains and Hukwang Valley which include groups from Assam and Manipur. Without Sumi’s posts on the social media, it is doubtful if the Army would have actually given out details about the operation so soon. 

The objective of such operations is better served with secrecy and by avoiding the media. The Indian Army would be extra careful with Myanmar after the stern reaction from Naypyidaw two years ago when some mobile camps of militants were destroyed by the Army following an ambush in Manipur. So speculation is also rife among some sections that this operation, which took place at the heart of the NSCN(K)’s support base, could not have happened without the knowledge of the Myanmarese army. The incident also comes close on the heels of a slew of agreements inked between the two neighbours during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Myanmar. A day after the gun battle, Myanmarese army personnel, led by a young officer from the outpost at Yenchong, visited Lankhu to take stock of the situation which is again unusual for an army with a thin presence in the Naga-inhabited areas in Myanmar. The intricacies notwithstanding, this cross-border strike is further testimony to the hard-line strategy adopted by the Indian Army against the separatist groups. The rebel hideouts and makeshift camps situated close to the border may no longer be safe.   

Meanwhile, reports claim that senior functionaries of NSCN(K) and its allies from Assam and Manipur went into a huddle at its headquarters in Taga following this incident. The details are not known but in all likelihood the parleys focused on the need to strengthen the defence in the villages near the Indo-Myanmar border. NSCN(K) has reasons to be anxious since it continues to be dependent on the other outfits for weapons, ammunition and human resources.  With the revenue from taxes not yielding enough, its finances are also not in a healthy shape. The districts in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh yielded a higher income but this too has taken a hit after the NSCN(K) abrogated the ceasefire with the Indian government two years ago.

The author is a senior journalist in Guwahati and author of Rendezvous With Rebels: Journey to Meet India’s Most Wanted Men