The Indian Army attacked the hideouts of terror group NSCN-Khaplang in Nagaland along the India-Myanmar border early on Wednesday.
A large number of NSCN-K cadre members were reportedly killed in the firefight between the two sides. The Army's Eastern Command said that it was more an encounter than a 'surgical strike' launched in an attempt to eliminate Naga rebels.
The operation was launched following the attack on the Indian Army column along India-Myanmar border. Following the attack, the Indian Army responded with "heavy retaliatory fire". Reports say that Indian commandos safely exited the operation zone.
The attack brought back the memories of the 2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan and the 2015 strike on the Naga militants.
India shares borders with China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar in the northeast which has now become a home to several insurgent groups.
For decades, the soldiers deployed in those regions, have never crossed borders despite being well aware of the presence of insurgent groups.
Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore confirmed the strike and said that the government had taken daring steps to target militant camps. He even told NDTV that India would not tolerate cross-border terrorism.
"It is undoubtedly a message to all nations that harbour any intentions - be it the west or the specific country we went into right now. Even if there are groups within countries that harbour terror intentions, we will choose the time and the place of hitting them," he said.
