Visiting Myanmar Army chief to meet top leaders

Myanmar Army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who is on a four-day visit to India, will be meeting top political and military leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Army chief Dalbir Singh.

His visit comes nearly one and a half months after India conducted a "surgical strike" on terrorist camps along the India-Myanmar border.

Hlaing, who arrived in India Sunday, is visiting Goa and Bengaluru before coming to New Delhi.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, he will meet Prime Minister Modi, Parrikar, his Indian counterpart and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

According to sources in the defence ministry, the meetings will discuss situation along Indo-Myanmar border among other things, as India has scaled up intelligence-based operations.

An Army vehicle convoy was ambushed by well-armed terrorists in Manipur's Chandel District and 18 soldiers killed and 15 others injured. Two terrorists were killed in retaliatory firing.

Following this, India conducted surgical operations along the border on atleast two camps.

India and Myanmar share 1,643 km of unfenced border with Myanmar, and permit a "free movement" regime upto 16 km on either side.

Parrikar told parliament last week, said Myanmar has assured New Delhi that it will not allow use of its territory for activities inimical to India. He also said intelligence grid has been revitalised along the border and intelligence-based surgical operations are being conducted to neutralise terrorists.