IMPHAL, Nov 8 ? Army today denied conducting a joint operation with Myanmar forces to drive out rebels from Manipur and said the security forces had been carrying out counter-insurgency operation as a ?normal duty?. ?Security forces had been carrying out counter-insurgency operation in several areas of Manipur as a normal duty and at least 13 militants had been killed, 34 ultras apprehended and 20 weapons recovered since September,? Army PRO Maj. SD Goswami said, adding, ?no joint operation with Myanmar is being carried out to eject insurgents.?
He said the Army was not aware whether Myanmar troops had been carrying out a similar operation on their side. The spokesman said there was no particular name for the ongoing counter-insurgency operation although some papers had termed it as ?Operation All Clear?.
The Army PRO denied that he had ever said 6000 troops had been deployed in the interior region or 100 rebel camps had been attacked by the Army since Monday last in Manipur. Two jawans had lost their lives in the present operation and one lieutenant was injured in a mine blast, he said. Some senior civil and security officials told PTI that four brigades of army besides Assam Rifles, CRPF, BSF and other central forces in addition to state forces like police, Manipur rifles and India Reserve Battalion forces, were engaged in the present counter-insurgency operation.
They said that there was no joint operation with Myanmar forces and a section of media were ?concocting stories that a Bhutan-like operation against ULFA some months ago was being carried out in Manipur.?
The officials said reports in a section of the media that Myanmar troops had closed its borders to cut off escape routes for insurgents ?must have been based on assumption following the recent visit of Myanmar leader Than Shwe to New Delhi?.
They said 44th Mountain Brigade of the Army had been posted at Chakpikarong area near Sajik Tampak in Chandel district about two months ago following which some militants had escaped to some other interior areas particularly neighbouring Bishenpur and Churachandpur districts. The officials said press reports that Myanmar troops had closed borders to cut off escape routes ?must have been based on assumption following the recent visit of Myanmar leader Than Shwe to New Delhi?.
They said 44th Mountain Brigade of the Army had been posted at Chakpikarong area near Sajik Tampak in Chandel district about two months ago and following the deployment of the security forces, some militants had escaped to some other interior areas particularly neighbouring Bishenpur and Churachandpur districts. There has been no new development since then, they said adding security forces had intensified its counter insurgency operations in Bishenpur and Churach.