Indian Army Drone Strike on Separatist Bases in Myanmar

International Desk

The United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I), a separatist insurgent group from the northeastern Indian state of Assam, claimed that the Indian Army conducted drone strikes on four of their bases inside Myanmar in the early hours of Sunday.

In a statement issued by ULFA-I’s media cell, it said that around 100 attack drones were launched between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM local time from Indian Army bases near the India-Myanmar border.

The statement said, “The drones hit four of our bases. Our top commander Nayan Medhi alias Nayan Asom was killed, and 19 fighters were injured.”

Indian military sources confirmed the attack but declined to provide further details.

However, they stated that the targeted camps were jointly used by ULFA-I and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the armed wing of the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) from neighboring Manipur.

While some northeastern insurgent groups have engaged in ceasefires and dialogue with the Indian government, ULFA-I and the PLA have continued attacking Indian security forces. In the past, the Indian Army has carried out special operations inside Myanmar targeting these rebel bases, but due to the remote jungle terrain, the effectiveness of such raids had been limited.

In one notable incident, a raid following an insurgent attack on an Indian military convoy drew protest from the Myanmar government.

The Myanmar military, which is engaged in conflict with several domestic insurgent groups, has lost effective control over these remote areas in the Sagaing region. Though under Indian pressure, the Myanmar army has occasionally attacked these camps, since the intensification of Myanmar’s civil war in November 2023, it has been forced to focus on its internal rebels. As a result, nearly half the country is now under rebel control.

Analysts believe that India’s long-term goal is to eliminate the use of Myanmar’s border areas as safe havens for northeastern insurgents.

Using modern drone technology, the Indian Army has started carrying out precise attacks based on satellite and intelligence reports. Success in similar operations against Pakistan-based terrorist groups may have encouraged India to conduct such drone strikes in Myanmar.

ULFA-I claimed that the Indian Army used more than 150 drones made in Israel and France to strike its bases stretching from Longwa in Nagaland to the Pangsau Pass in Arunachal Pradesh.

Targets included ULFA-I’s Eastern Command Headquarters (ECHQ) and Camp 779 located in Waktham Basti. It is suspected that self-declared Lieutenant General Nayan Medhi alias Nayan Asom and Brigadier Ganesh Lahan were killed in the attack. However, the Indian Army has not issued an official statement on the operation.

Some sources claimed the operation was conducted in coordination with Myanmar’s military. However, both the Indian Army and the Myanmar government denied any joint operation. Indian Defense Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat refused to comment on the incident.

ULFA-I blamed the Indian “occupying forces” for the attack and threatened retaliation. Under the leadership of Paresh Barua, ULFA-I has maintained several camps in Myanmar that have long been used for insurgent activities in northeastern India.

On January 8 last year, ULFA-I claimed the Indian Army conducted a drone strike on one of its camps, injuring two of its cadres.

Security analysts view the latest attack as part of a new Indian strategy to destroy safe havens used by northeastern insurgents. Myanmar’s remote jungle areas have long served as strategic bases for ULFA-I, NSCN(K), and other rebel groups.

Indian Army’s use of modern drone technology, satellite surveillance, and human intelligence is believed to be the basis for such targeted strikes. The success of similar operations against Pakistan-based terror groups may have inspired India to replicate the strategy in Myanmar. Compared to special forces operations, drone strikes also offer the benefit of plausible deniability.

This drone strike marks a significant move against northeastern insurgent groups. However, the Indian Army’s official silence and Myanmar’s denial raise questions about the political and diplomatic implications of the operation. Amid rising security concerns in India’s northeast, the incident signals a hardened Indian policy in the region. Media outlets are awaiting further details.