SOURCE: ET
Last week’s ambush in Manipur’s Chandel district in which three Assam Rifles jawans were killed may be a retaliatory move by militants whose camps in Myanmar are being dismantled by that country’s army.Three outfits — Manipur Naga People’s Front, Revolutionary People’s Front and United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) — have claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday.
“Myanmar’s army is presently engaged in cleaning up the camps of north-eastern militants inside Myanmar. This operation is considered to be the biggest ever operation undertaken by the army, forcing the rebels to flee deep inside the jungles,” a senior intelligence official told ET, speaking on the condition that he won’t be named.
Militants are under the impression that India is backing the operations, he said. “So, the Chandel ambush might be the result of that impression and frustration of militants for their repeated attempts to foment trouble have been foiled by the security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations.”
The anti-talk faction of the ULFA, the Khaplang faction of the NSCN and Manipur-based militant outfits have their camps at Taga inside Myanmar.
