Northeast Desk, 17th November: Adverse weather conditions in Mizoram have caused an unexpected delay in the repatriation of 29 Myanmar Army soldiers who surrendered on November 16. The soldiers, engaged in a four-hour gun battle with People’s Army CNDF near the Mizoram border, were scheduled to return to Myanmar via an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper.
The anticipated return faced setbacks as relentless rain in Mizoram prevented the IAF chopper from landing, disrupting the agreed-upon timeline for repatriation. The delay follows the surrender of the soldiers after a fierce clash with CNDF forces in the Tuibual area, situated just 13 km from the Mizoram border.
The confrontation on November 15 resulted in the loss of two Myanmar soldiers’ lives, with three others sustaining minor injuries from CNDF forces. Following negotiations between CNDF leaders and the Myanmar Military, an agreement was reached, compelling the 29 soldiers to surrender.
Originally set for November 15 in Mizoram’s Saikhumphai, the repatriation process faced navigational challenges, causing the troops to arrive in Saikhumphai on November 16 at 2:15 p.m. The soldiers, adhering to the agreement, relinquished their arms to the Mizoram Police, including guns, ammunition, and bombs.
A warm welcome was extended to the surrendered soldiers by Mizoram Police, Vaphai Village Council, and Vaphai Branch Young Mizo Association. Subsequently, the soldiers were handed over to the Assam Rifles for further processing.