New Delhi Sep 27 (IANS) The Indian Army on Wednesday said it has inflicted "heavy casualties" on NSCN (K) militants during a firefight along the border with Myanmar but clarified that it was "not a surgical strike".
Officials said the incident occurred when a column of the Indian Army was fired upon by "unidentified insurgents".
The Army also said the international border was not crossed.
"In the early morning hours of September 27 a column of the Indian Army while operating along the Indo-Myanmar border was fired upon by unidentified insurgents. Our troops reacted swiftly and brought down heavy retaliatory fire on the insurgents " Eastern Command of Indian Army said in a statement.
"The insurgents broke contact and fled from the spot. As per inputs a large number of casualties were suffered by the insurgents. Own troops suffered no casualties during the firefight " it said.
The "firefight" took place around 4.45 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
The Eastern Command had earlier said in a tweet that the operation was against the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) militants.
"Heavy casualties reportedly inflicted on NSCN(K) cadre. No casualties suffered by Indian Security Force " the Eastern Command said in a tweet.
In June 2015 the Indian Army had carried out a surgical strike along the India-Myanmar border on camps of Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) militants days after an ambush in which terrorists killed 18 Army men in Manipur.
--IANS
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