India Repatriates 184 Myanmar Soldiers After Clashes, Mizoram Border Crisis Eases

Aizawl: India has safely repatriated 184 Myanmarese soldiers to their home country after they fled to Mizoram last week following clashes with an ethnic insurgent group on the Myanmar side, as reported. The Assam Rifles officials disclosed that out of the 276 Myanmarese soldiers who entered Mizoram, 184 were sent back on Monday. They were flown to Sittwe in Myanmar's Rakhine state using Myanmar Air Force planes from the Lengpui airport near Aizawl.

Remaining to be repatriated today 

The remaining 92 soldiers are scheduled to be repatriated on Tuesday. The Myanmarese soldiers had entered Bandukbanga village in Mizoram with weapons on January 17, seeking assistance from the Assam Rifles after their camp was captured by 'Arakan Army' fighters.

Upon arrival, the soldiers were taken to the Assam Rifles camp at Parva, and later, most of them were relocated to Lunglei. Since then, they have been under the supervision of the Assam Rifles. The group, led by a colonel, comprises 36 officers and 240 lower-rank personnel.

Myanmarese Soldiers Persistently Flee to Mizoram

In total, 635 Myanmar soldiers have sought refuge in Mizoram as their camps were overrun by ethnic armed organisations and pro-democratic forces. Of these, 359 soldiers have already been sent back to Myanmar. This incident follows a similar event in November when 104 Myanmar army personnel were sent to the border town of Moreh in Manipur and repatriated by Indian Air Force helicopters. Additionally, 255 soldiers were sent back earlier this month via the Lengpui airport by Myanmar air force planes.

Mizoram shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmar. The ongoing situation highlights the challenges faced by displaced Myanmar soldiers seeking refuge in neighbouring Indian states.