In a coordinated effort, a total of 151 Myanmarese soldiers, who sought refuge in Mizoram following armed clashes with an ethnic insurgent group in Myanmar, were repatriated on Tuesday. The soldiers, who had crossed the Indian border and entered Mizoram's Lawngtlai district on December 29, were airlifted by the Myanmar Air Force from Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram.
The soldiers had fled their camps near the international border after facing an onslaught from fighters associated with the Arakan Army, an insurgent group in Myanmar. Upon their entry into Indian territory, the Myanmar army personnel, armed and seeking refuge, approached the Assam Rifles at Tuisentlang. Since then, they have been under the custody of the paramilitary force at Parva, near the international border.
This incident comes after a similar event in November, when 104 Myanmar soldiers sought refuge in Mizoram after their military camps along the Myanmar-India border were overrun by pro-democracy militias.
The northern part of Shan state in Myanmar has become a battleground as the Three Brotherhood Alliance, consisting of the Arakan Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, initiated a coordinated offensive on October 27. The well-trained and well-armed ethnic militias, collectively known as the alliance, posed a significant challenge to the Myanmar military.
In a response to the coordinated offensive, the Arakan Army also attacked outposts in its home state of Rakhine in the west, intensifying the conflict. The military, already grappling with a nationwide uprising led by the People's Defence Forces—a pro-democracy armed group formed after the military coup in February 2021—found itself facing another formidable front.
The Three Brotherhood Alliance has reported numerous victories, including the capture of four border crossings in the northern part of Shan state. Acknowledging its losses, the military government confirmed the fall of three towns and vowed counterattacks against the alliance. This ongoing conflict adds to the complexity of Myanmar's political landscape, marked by resistance against the military junta.
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