Amid growing conflict, 151 Myanmarese soldiers flee to Mizoram

Aizawl, Dec 30 (PTI) At least 151 Myanmarese soldiers fled to Mizoram's Lawngtlai district after their camps in the neighbouring country were overrun by an armed ethnic group, an Assam Rifles officer said on Saturday.

The Myanmarese army personnel, also known as the 'Tatmadaw,' fled with their arms and approached the Assam Rifles at Tuisentlang in Lawngtlai district on Friday after their camps near the international border were overrun by the Arakan Army fighters, he said.

The officer said that there had been intense gunfights between the Myanmar army and the Arakan Army fighters for the past few days in areas close to the Indian border.

He said that some of the Myanmarese Army personnel, who entered Mizoram on Friday, were critically injured and first aids were administered to them by the Assam Rifles.

The Myanmar army soldiers are now in the safe custody of Assam Rifles at Parva in Lawngtlai district near the Myanmar border, he said.

The Myanmar soldiers will be sent back to their country in some days as talks are going on between the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Myanmar military government, he added.

In November, a total of 104 Myanmar soldiers fled to Mizoram after their military camps along the Myanmar-India border were overrun by pro-democracy militia - People's Defence Force (PDF).

They were airlifted by the Indian Airforce to Moreh in Manipur, from where they crossed the international border and entered Tamu, the nearest border town in Myanmar. PTI