Indian rebels deny ‘significant casualties’

11 June 2015
Indian rebels deny ‘significant casualties’
Female cadres of the Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), NSCN(I-M) take part in a parade on the ocassion of their 30th Republic Day celebrations at the outfit’s headquarter Hebron camp about 40 km from Dimapur town in Nagaland, northeast India, 21 March 2010. Photo: EPA

Rebels from India’s northeast, who were the target of military raids on the border with Myanmar, have rubbished Delhi’s claims that they suffered heavy casualties in the June 9 raids.
ULFA's military wing chief Paresh Barua claims that the Indian army commandos raided only one camp on the India-Myanmar border -- a camp manned by the Manipur’s Peoples Liberation Army. Barua said in anemail that the claims of huge casualties inflicted by the Indian army commandos were ‘grossly exaggerated’ and ‘fictitious’.
“They have made such claims to redeem their public image after suffering heavily in the June 4 ambush in Manipur,” Barua said. 
A PLA press statement also claimed its fighters had “beaten back the Indian assault” without suffering any casualties.
“The Indian troops may have suffered some casualties, because our fighters have seen blood trails in the jungles after the firefight on June 9,” the PLA press statement said.
They also provided details of some Indian weapons and ammunition left behind by the raiding Indian commandos, suggesting they might belong to some of them who were hit.
A senior functionary of the NSCN-Khaplang group has told the ‘Nagaland Post’ that the Indian claims were ‘preposterous’ and completely false’.
“None of our camps were attacked, we suffered no casualties,” the rebel functionary was quoted by the Nagaland Post as saying.
On Wednesday, Myanmar denied the Indian attack had taken place inside its territory.