New Delhi (Sputnik) — In a two-week-long pre-emptive joint operation with Myanmar's military, the Indian Army has destroyed dozens of insurgent camps located inside Myanmar in what it described as a mission to protect a vital infrastructure project meant to connect East Asia through Myanmar, reports The Assam Tribune.
It is believed that Indian Army personnel did not cross into the territory of Myanmar, but provided all support, including surveillance, to the Myanmar military for the operation, which was completed on 2 March; on that date most of the Arakan Army insurgents were wiped out.
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Sputnik reported the movement of additional Indian forces towards the border with Myanmar on 18 February, a day after the two-week joint operation started.
"Arakan Army has managed to set up at least 10 camps across the international border with India in Rakhine state of Myanmar post-2017. Most of the camps were located across border pillars 1 to 9 along the Mizoram-Myanmar border. Intelligence inputs also indicated that some members of the Arakan Army were also planning to sneak into India," added the report citing defence sources.
Assam Tribune reported that the Indian construction workers engaged in the implementation of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project were feeling threatened by the possibility of the AA insurgents posing a serious threat to the project.
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Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project aims to establish a multi-modal sea, river and road transport corridor for the shipment of cargo from the eastern ports of India to Myanmar through Sittwe Port and vice-versa. The project would encourage investment and trade and also open alternate routes for connectivity to India's north-east region. India is all set to take over the operations of Myanmar's Sittwe Port, which is part of Kaladan project, later this year.
