'More aggressive anti-terror operations likely in future'

As the well-planned and surgical strike against terror camps across the India-Myanamar border sent a clear message that New Delhi will not tolerate the scourge, highly placed sources said on Wednesday that more such operations could be mounted in future if the situation warrants.

"More such attacks may take place if there are intelligence inputs of a threat (of the kind of attack June 4 in Manipur that claimed the lives of 18 Indian Army soldiers and injured many more). The forces are always ready for such operations," a senior officer told IANS on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media.The army got on to collecting intelligence soon after the ambush on June 4.

According to sources, clearance for the operations came from the "highest level" and Army Chief Gen Daalbir Singh postponed a visit to Britain while National Security Adviser Ajit Doval cancelled plans to go to Bangladesh with the prime minister.

According to sources, elements of 21 Para (SF) of the Parachute Regiment that carried out the strike on Tuesday did not suffer any losses but caused "significant casualties" among the terrorists.

Officially, the army has not released figures for militants killed in the attack but these are estimated to be between 15 and 25.

Sources said the camps that were attacked were a few kilometers inside Myanmar border, but refused to name the exact location.

"The camps were a few kilometers inside the Myanmar border," the sources told IANS.

The paratroopers were flown to the target in the indigenous Dhruv advanced light helicopters.

Additional Director General of Military Operations Maj. Gen. Ranbir Singh had said on Tuesday that the Myanmarese authorities were taken into confidence ahead of the attack.

The operation, done with surgical precision, lasted around 30 minutes each, say sources and took place between 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Tuesday while the surgical strike was completed within 30 minutes.