New Delhi, Sep. 4 (IANS): An NSCN (K) cadre was killed and a soldier injured in an operation by Special Forces on Monday in Arunachal Pradesh's Longding district bordering Myanmar, army sources said.
The security operation comes a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the neighbouring country on September 5-7.
Army chief General Bipin Rawat clarified it was a "routine operation" within the Indian territory.
"It's a normal, routine operation. Such operations happen every day. There's nothing big about them," General Rawat told reporters here on Monday.
An AK-56 assault rifle and 200 rounds of ammunition were seized during the operation against the National Socialist Council of Nagaland militants belonging to the Khaplang faction in Longding district, where India shares border with Myanmar.
Army officials said the action in the hinterland was a typical counter-insurgency operation.
A surgical strike was carried out by the army along the Myanmar border in response to an ambush by Naga rebels in Manipur's Chandel district on June 4, 2015, in which 18 soldiers were killed.
Army chief downplays Arunachal operation
Army chief General Bipin Rawat today sought to downplay the latest operation by security forces against the NSCN(K) along the Indo-Myanmar border, saying such actions are taken regularly.
"It was a normal encounter. These operations go on everyday. Nothing big about this operation," he told reporters here after a meeting with minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju.
The encounter between the Army troops and the Khaplang faction of the Naga insurgent group NSCN in Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh, along the border with Myanmar, took place just a day before the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Myanmar.
At least one NSCN(K) militant was killed and another injured in the encounter during which a hideout of the outfit was destroyed.
The security forces had launched the operation following specific input about the presence of NSCN(K) rebels near Votnu village in the district. The forces came under heavy fire from the rebels and retaliated, Defence spokesman Colonel Chiranjit Konwer said in Itanagar. (PTI)
