151 Myanmar soldiers, who fled to Mizoram, flown out

Aizawl: All 151 Myanmarese soldiers, who fled to Mizoram on Friday after their camps were captured by armed pro-democracy ethnic groups, were flown back home on a Myanmar military aircraft on Tuesday, officials said.

Officials said that a Myanmar Air Force aircraft landed at the Lengpui airport here on Tuesday afternoon to take back the soldiers.

"A Myanmar Air Force transport plane from Mandalay (Myanmar) landed at Lengpui airport and evacuated 151 Myanmar soldiers to Akyab in two sorties. Before the departure of the Myanmarese soldiers, the Indian authorities have completed all necessary formalities," a senior official told IANS.

According to officials, the Myanmar soldiers on Friday fled to Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district with their arms and ammunition, and approached the Assam Rifles after their camps near the India-Myanmar border were overrun by the Arakan Army fighters.

Some of the fleeing Myanmar soldiers were critically injured in the gun battle and basic medical treatment was provided to them by the Assam Rifles. The soldiers were in the custody of Assam Rifles at Parva in Lawngtlai.

Fierce gun battles between the Myanmar Army and the armed fighters resumed last week in areas close to the Indian border leading to the fresh influx of soldiers into Indian territory.

It was not yet known whether any soldiers were killed or not following the intense attack of the pro-democracy forces.

In November, a total of 104 Myanmar soldiers, including officers, fled to Mizoram in different phases after their camps near the border were overrun by pro-democracy armed groups.

Since November 13, several Myanmar soldiers fled to the Indian territory in different phases after their camps in Chin state were captured by the Chin National Defence Force, the armed wing of the Chin National Organisation.

They were earlier airlifted by the Indian Air Force to Moreh in Manipur, from where they were repatriated to Tamu, the nearest town on the Myanmar side.

Besides soldiers, several thousand Myanmarese civilians, including women and children, took shelter in Mizoram's Champhai and other districts since last month following the gunfights between Myanmar Army and CNDF cadres.

The district administration has provided food and relief materials to the refugees. Necessary medical aid has also been provided to them.

The first influx from Myanmar happened in February 2021 after the Military junta seized power there. Since then, over 32,000 people, including women and children, have taken shelter in the northeastern state from Myanmar.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh last week said that due to prevailing unrest in the neighbouring country around 6,000 people from Myanmar have taken shelter in his state in the recent past. Mizoram and Manipur share 518 km and 398 km unfenced borders with Myanmar, respectively.