Myanmar’s PDF Rebels Killed In Manipur’s Chandel In Mistaken Identity Gunfight: Sources

Ten rebels of the People’s Defence Force (PDF) that is fighting the junta in Myanmar were killed in a gunfight with the Indian Army in Manipur’s Chandel district, sources said.

The PDF is the armed wing of the US-backed Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG-in-exile).

The army earlier on Thursday in a statement released on social media confirmed the deaths of “10 armed cadres”, but did not name the organisation to which they belonged.

The gunfight happened near New Samtal Village in Chandel district’s Khengjoy tehsil, the army said.

Background Of The Incident

This area in Chandel district along the border with Myanmar is considered one of the last safe havens of Meitei insurgent groups which have been banned in India and designated as terrorist organisations by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

A large force of the Assam Rifles with battle-hardened veterans in jungle warfare and a small number of special forces are deployed here.

The central government’s border-fencing project is also going on in full speed in this area.

The Incident

There is not much clarity on who fired the first shot — was it the PDF or the Indian soldiers. However, sources said one of the most credible explanations was that the troops likely assumed the PDF to be Meitei insurgents and engaged them in great force, leading to the deaths of the PDF rebels.

If this was indeed the case, then it was an incident of mistaken identity. The Indian Army has no direct confrontation with the PDF and there is no reason why they would engage the Myanmar group.

Many on social media have claimed that those who were killed in the Chandel gunfight belonged to the Kuki National Army (Burma), also known as KNA (B).

However, sources said there is no evidence they were KNA (B). The army also has no direct confrontation with the KNA (B), and on the Indian side the army and Kuki insurgents of numerous KNAs are part of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement.

Our Take

Whether they were KNA (B) or PDF, Chin-Kuki rebels were killed.

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