Guwahati: Uncertainty still surrounds the identity of the ten “individuals in camouflage fatigues” killed in an operation by the Assam Rifles near the India-Myanmar border in Manipur.
The incident occurred on 14 May near New Samtal village in Manipur’s Chandel district, an area close to the international border — an official statement by defence authorities confirmed Wednesday.
In another statement issued Friday, authorities said they are still awaiting confirmation of the identities of the slain cadres, but added that preliminary assessments suggest the “neutralised individuals were known for involvement in cross-border insurgent activity.”
“Efforts are underway to confirm their identities,” the statement read.
It further stated that troops came under heavy fire by “suspected cadres” during a patrol and responded in a “precise, measured and calibrated” manner. Security officials have said the operation is ongoing, and surveillance along the Indo-Myanmar border has been intensified.
Among a cache of sophisticated weapons recovered during a combing operation include seven AK-47 rifles, an RPG launcher, one M4 carbine, four single-barrel breech-loading rifles, and assorted ammunition, the statement added.
No Indian insurgent group — either from the Kuki-Zo or Valley-Based (Meitei VBIGs) — has claimed involvement or acknowledged any losses in the recent incident. Anti-junta resistance forces in Myanmar have also not confirmed any engagement with Indian security forces or reported losses.
On Thursday, sources told this correspondent that the deceased may have belonged to a Buddhist group in Myanmar with temporary shelters inside Indian territory.
Sources near the Indo-Myanmar border said the slain fighters were possibly part of the Public Defense Forces or Pa Ka Pha under the National Unity Government (NUG)’s Ministry of Defence. The NUG is a shadow administration formed by ousted Myanmar parliamentarians and pro-democracy activists following the 2021 coup in Myanmar.
Speaking to this correspondent earlier, a NUG representative denied the claim but stated that the matter is under investigation.
The Public Defense Forces or Pa Ka Pha is one of several groups fighting Myanmar’s military regime alongside Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs), People’s Defense Forces (PDFs), Public Administrative Organisation (Pa Ah Pha) and Local Defense Forces.
As part of the Spring Revolution, the Pa Ka Pha plays a vital in securing territorial domination and is typically tasked with internal security in areas under PDF control.
On Thursday, images circulating on social media showed blood-stained gear that sources attributed to a Pa Ka Pha fighter from Myanmar’s Sagaing Region.
The Chandel encounter has shifted attention back to the eastern frontier, even as the country remains engaged in Operation Sindoor — a major offensive targeting terror bases along the western border with Pakistan.
In Manipur, where the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act remains in effect, the state continues to be under President’s Rule following two years of brutal ethnic violence that left hundreds dead and displaced tens of thousands.
India shares a 1,643-km border with Myanmar, spanning four northeastern states including Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km). Large swathes of the border region are currently under the control of Myanmar’s pro-democracy militias, complicating India’s border security dynamics.
Despite not being a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, India has offered support to the internally displaced by Myanmar’s civil war, particularly in Mizoram, where people have been sheltered by both state authorities and civil society organisations.
At the same time, Indian forces had earlier facilitated the return of Myanmar army soldiers who fled across the border and took refuge in Mizoram after being overrun by resistance groups.
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