In a significant incident, a Myanmar Army plane crash-landed at Mizoram’s Lengpui airport, leaving six people injured, including the pilot. The aircraft, carrying a total of 14 individuals, was reportedly in Mizoram to pick up Myanmar Army personnel who had recently entered India. The injured were promptly admitted to Lengpui Hospital, as confirmed by the Mizoram Director General of Police.
Reports suggest that the mishap occurred when the plane veered off the runway during landing, resulting in damage to the aircraft. This incident coincided with India’s repatriation of 184 Myanmarese soldiers who had sought refuge in Mizoram last week after clashes with an ethnic insurgent group.
According to an Assam Rifles official, a total of 276 Myanmarese soldiers entered Mizoram last week, and on Monday, 184 of them were sent back to Myanmar. They were flown on Myanmar Air Force planes from Lengpui airport to Sittwe in Rakhine state. The remaining 92 soldiers are scheduled for repatriation on Tuesday.
The Myanmarese soldiers sought refuge in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district after their camp was overrun by ‘Arakan Army’ fighters. Assam Rifles played a crucial role in escorting them to safety, with most of the soldiers relocated to Lunglei.
Under the supervision of Assam Rifles, the soldiers were brought to Aizawl over the weekend for their transport back to Myanmar via Lengpui airport. The group, led by a colonel and comprising 36 officers and 240 lower-rank personnel, has seen 359 soldiers already sent back to their country.
This incident follows a series of repatriations involving Myanmarese soldiers. In November, 104 Myanmar Army personnel were sent to the border town of Moreh in Manipur, and earlier this month, 255 soldiers were repatriated via Lengpui airport.
Mizoram, sharing a 510-kilometer-long border with Myanmar, has become a focal point for these repatriation efforts amid regional geopolitical dynamics. The crash at Lengpui airport adds another layer of complexity to the unfolding events involving the Myanmarese soldiers and the diplomatic engagement between India and Myanmar.
Sources By Agencies