Indian Army Carried Out A 'Surgical Strike' Against NSCN Militants, Reportedly Inside Myanmar

National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) has claimed that at least five-six of its commanders were killed in an Indian Army operation on Friday.

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According to reports the gun battle took place between some 30 Indian paratroopers and suspected NSCN-K militants along the India-Myanmar border, in the Mon district of Nagaland.

However some local media reports quoting NSCN-K sources said the operation was carried out inside Myanmar border.

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While the Army confirmed the operation, it rejected reports that the forces had crossed over and the incident happened in the Indian side of the border.

"Our troops had laid an ambush along a known infiltration route. After the ensuing gunfight, the militants fled back into Myanmar. They left some weapons behind. There were no casualties on our side," an army source was quoted by The Times of India.

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The Army has also refused to confirm the number of casualties on the militants side.

If indeed the operation was inside Myanmar, this will be the second such strike in recent times.

In June last year, Indian special forces had conducted a surgical strike across the Myanmar border which inflicted "significant casualties" on NSCN (K) and Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL).?

It was in retaliation to a militant attack that killed 18 army soldiers, which was the worst attack on security forces in two decades. Even then the army had denied launching any such operation.

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The NSCN (K) is an armed insurgency group which aims at unifying all the Naga-inhabited areas in the North East of India and Myanmar to form a sovereign state.