In June last year, army commandos had carried out a surgical strike at militant camps in Myanmar killing at least 38 Naga insurgent. (Representational photo)
Putting to rest reports of a surgical strike in Myanmar against rebels from the North East after an ambush killing six Assam Rifles personnel in Manipur last month, the Army today said sometimes factional fights among insurgent groups were attributed to security forces.
"I must ask you where does this rumour come from? We respect the sovereignty of all our neighbours. There is no question of going across. Nothing has happened. We did no strikes," Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi told reporters in Kolkata when asked to comment on reports of a surgical strike by security forces in neighbouring Myanmar.
He said there were several insurgent groups in Nagaland, Manipur and other places which witnessed inter-group factionalism and rivalry.
"At times (the fights) get attributed to security forces when we have no hand," Bakshi said, adding they suspected that those responsible for the ambush on May 22, perhaps, were clandestinely finding safe sanctuaries in places other than our own country.
"And to that extent we can only request that such safe sanctuaries not be provided in a spirit of good neighbourhood," the army commander said.
In June last year, army commandos had carried out a surgical strike at militant camps in Myanmar killing at least 38 Naga insurgents after NSCN(K) killed 18 army personnel in Manipur.
After joining the Eastern Command on August 1 last year, Bakshi's first visitor was a top army officer from Myanmar.
"We are jointly addressing it but you know insurgency knows no boundaries," he said.
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