Tatmadaw (read the official name of the armed forces of Myanmar) has reportedly resumed military operations against the National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Khaplang (NSCN-K) in the Sagaing division of the country (read Myanmar). With the Tatmadaw reportedly resuming military operations, the earlier ceasefire between the Myanmar Army and the NSCN-K has come unstuck.
According to sources, several camps of the NSCN-K came under heavy attacks on Wednesday as the Myanmar armed forces attacked the camps where the NSCN-K rebels have been taking refuge for a long time now. Senior NSCN-K leader Isak Sumi has reportedly admitted that they have indeed “come under fire” from the Tatmadaw but, all their cadres are “safe but had to temporarily withdraw from their camps”.
“The ongoing standoff between the Myanmar armed forces and the Naga army has temporarily been resolved without untoward incident but the Naga army had to make a tactical withdrawal. The overall situation is still tense but the Naga army is entrenched again and safe,” Sumi stated.
Recently, NSCN-K rebels laid an ambush along the Nagaland-Myanmar border killing two Assam Rifles jawans and leaving several hurt. In retaliation, the Indian Army personnel crossed over to Myanmar and reportedly attacked NSCN-K camps. The rebel outfit had, however, claimed that the Indian Army had “failed” in its operation.
A senior Indian Army officer, requesting anonymity, stated, “The very fact that the Tatmadaw is carrying out operations against the NSCN-K despite the ceasefire points to the fact that the Indian Government has successfully pressurised its Myanmarese counterpart to take action against the rebels taking shelter in Myanmar after the recent wave of attacks on Indian security forces by the NSCN-K in Nagaland.”
Earlier, it was also reported that India may ask Myanmar to call off its ceasefire agreement with NSCN-K and during a bilateral meeting between both sides, a list of over 20 camps, operating in Myanmar, few kms from the Indian border, was also handed over to Myanmar by India.
The Tatmadaw is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.