Mizoram: 29 Myanmar soldiers who crossed over to India after gunfight sent back

29 Myanmarese soldiers were sent back to their country on Sunday after they crossed over the international borders to Mizoram in a bid to escape militia group People’s Defence Force (PDF), an official said. 

With these, a total of 74 Myanmar army personnel, who crossed over to India after their camps were overrun by militia groups in the recent gunfight, have been escorted back to their country, she said.

These 29 soldiers had entered Mizoram on November 16 after their camp at Tuibual in Myanmar’s Chin state, a few km from the international border, was overrun by Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) — a local militia group affiliated with the PDF.

“These soldiers were airlifted by defence authorities to Moreh in Manipur. From Moreh, they went to Tamu, the nearest Myanmarese town,” the official told PTI. Incessant rains disrupted the process, which prolonged their stay in India, she added.

The Myanmarese soldiers came on foot to Saikhumphai in Mizoram’s Champhai district near Tiau river, the natural boundary between India and Myanmar, and were received by the Assam Rifles and state police, the official said. They were in the custody of Assam Rifles before they were sent back to their country, she said.

Earlier, 45 Myanmar soldiers, who fled to Mizoram after their camps were overrun by PDF, were sent back to their country. At present, the situation along the India-Myanmar border is peaceful and there are no reports of any clashes since November 15, officials said. Around 5,000 civilians also crossed over to Mizoram after the fighting started in the neighbouring country last week. The majority of them have returned to their country, a police officer said.

Mizoram shares a 510-km-long porous border with Myanmar. The northeastern state has provided shelter to more than 31,000 people from Myanmar, who fled after the military junta seized power in a coup in February 2021. The Myanmar nationals, who took shelter in Mizoram, are from the Chin community. The Chins and Mizos belong to the Zo ethnic group.

(With inputs from PTI)

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