NAYPYIDAW, Myanmar: Nearly 300 Myanmar soldiers crossed the border into India, fleeing an advance by armed insurgents fighting the country’s junta, an Indian paramilitary officer informed news agency on Friday.
Clashes erupted in parts of Myanmar near the Indian border following the Arakan Army’s (AA) attack on security forces in November, terminating a ceasefire in place since the 2021 military coup.
The AA claimed control of Paletwa and six military bases along the Mizoram state border, prompting 276 troops to seek refuge in Bondukbangsora village, according to an unnamed Assam Rifles paramilitary officer.
Providing shelter and support, the Indian paramilitary unit is collecting biometric data from the soldiers, seeking New Delhi’s defense ministry approval for their return to Myanmar.
Hundreds of Myanmar troops have fled to India since the November ceasefire termination.
Myanmar military aircraft arrived in Aizawl, Mizoram’s capital, to repatriate soldiers.
In October, the AA and ethnic minority groups launched an offensive in Myanmar’s Shan state, capturing towns and trade hubs on the China border.
Despite a recent China-mediated ceasefire in Shan state, conflicts persist near the Indian border, posing a threat to the junta.
