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43 Myanmar Junta personnel sent back to home by Indian air force

November 15, 2023

Aizawl: The Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) have effectively orchestrated the repatriation of 43 Myanmarese military personnel who crossed the international border and sought sanctuary in Mizoram.

These individuals were transported in separate batches on Tuesday from Hnahlan Village in Mizoram’s Champhai district to Moreh in Manipur.

This route was strategically chosen to eliminate the necessity for the IAF to traverse into Myanmar airspace.

The soldiers approached Mizoram police in Zokhawthar, Champhai district, on Monday after the PDF raided military bases at Rihkhawdar and Khawmawi in Chin state.

An official source confirmed that the soldiers voluntarily approached Mizoram police seeking refuge. The same source stated, “Forty Myanmarese soldiers fled to Zokhawthar and approached Mizoram police on Monday, while three others did the same on Tuesday.”

While the majority of the Myanmarese soldiers have been successfully returned, three members of the Myanmar army who sought refuge in Mizoram are still present in the country. Among them, one individual is currently receiving medical treatment for injuries. All three have been handed over to the Assam Rifles, with plans underway for their repatriation in the coming days.

Confrontations have been ongoing along the Indo-Myanmar border for several days following attacks by CDF guerrillas on Myanmar military outposts. The rebel forces’ objective has been to seize control of Rihkhawdar town and Khawmawi village situated on the banks of the Tiau River, approximately 4-5 km from Zokhawthar on the Indian side. Eight casualties have been reported on the Myanmar side, among them is a 51-year-old refugee who sustained a gunshot wound in Myanmar and succumbed to injuries at a hospital in Champhai.

The KIA-CNA-CDF alliance, engaged in these hostilities, has also suffered casualties, with seven fighters killed and 19 wounded. Additionally, two civilians in Zokhawthar were injured by gunfire from the Myanmar military.