Myanmar Army launches 'Operation Sunrise 3' to crack down on Indian militants

According to sources, the Myanmar army has launched 'Operation Sunrise 3' to crack down on Indian insurgents gathered along the border regions.

Tezpur (Assam): Tatmadaw, the Myanmar army has launched the third operation against Indian insurgents holed up in the neighbouring country, sources said on Thursday.

Highly places sources in the Indian Army and Assam Rifles told ETV Bharat that the operation, codenamed "Sunrise 3", has been launched in and around Sagaing region, located along the Indo-Myanmar border.

The development comes days after India's Chief Of Army Staff, General MM Naravane visited the neighbouring country in the first week of October. General Naravane who was accompanied by India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, had met key officials of the Myanmar government and believed to have discussed various issues concerning regional security, inter-operability and cooperation between the India and Myanmar Army.

The operation has been launched in Sagaing region

The Indian duo also met the Vice Chief of Army Staff and Deputy Chief of Mynamar Army, sources said.

It is believed that the blueprint of Operation Sunrise 3 was prepared during Naravane's visit to Myanmar. The bilateral relation between India and Myanmar has been improving in recent times and it is unlikely that Myanmar will refuse India's request not to allow its soil to be used for anti-Indian activities.

It may be mentioned here that NSCN (K), ULFA (Independent) and some Manipur-based insurgent outfit still have their camps in Myanmar. The outfits carry out subversive activities in the Indian side and sneak into the Maynmerese territory taking advantage of the porous border and dense forest along the border.

Read:India, Myanmar sign MoU on defence co-operation

Sources in the Assam Rifles further informed that the forces have been put on alert and asked to maintain strict vigil along the International border to ensure that no member of insurgent outfits could escape and infiltrate into the Indian side.

It may be mentioned here that Tatmadaw had launched Operation Sunrise in 2019. While operation Sunrise 1 was launched between February 17 last year to March 2, the second operation with a similar name was launched on May 16 last year.

Sources in the military intelligence further said that Myanmar Army had lost 13 of its men during Sunrise 2. Arakan Army, a local armed group who shelters the Indian insurgent outfits, was responsible for the killings.

The sources further said that Myanmar Army had captured 22 Indian militants during that operation, who were subsequently handed over to Indian authorities.

India and Myanmar share 1,640 kilometre-long international border which spans across Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

Read:Lawmaker hails Indo-Myanmar joint operation, appeals for talks too