Nearly 5,000 including 39 Myanmar army personnel cross border amid tensions

Along with the 5,000 Myanmar nationals, 39 army personnel from the neighbouring country also entered India on Monday evening and surrendered before the Mizoram police at Zokhawthar. Thirty-nine Myanmar army personnel were among the nearly 5,000 citizens of the neighbouring country who entered India since Sunday night following gunfight between rebel outfits and the military and subsequent bombing at two villages across the border close to the Indian side. According to Mizoram Police officials, cadres from rebel outfits like Peoples Defence Force, Chinland Defence Force and Chin National Army attacked Myanmar army posts at Rihkhawdar and Khawmawi, villages close to Zokhawthar in Champhai district of Mizoram on Sunday night. This resulted in retaliatory gunfire that continued throughout the night which led to residents fleeing to the Indian side by crossing the Tiau river that demarcates the border between both countries.