Drone strikes kill top commanders in Myanmar, say Indian separatists

A separatist group in India’s northeast said that the Indian army conducted drone strikes on its camps inside Myanmar on Sunday, killing three senior commanders and injuring several others.

In a series of statements on Sunday, the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) — one of insurgent groups in India — said that a top commander was killed and 19 others were wounded in a drone attack near the border.

Some rebel groups in northeastern India often maintain a presence across the border in Myanmar, citing shared ethnic, linguistic and cultural ties with minorities in the region. These cross-border connections allow the groups to establish camps and operate in remote areas.

"Two more senior commanders were killed" in subsequent strikes, the ULFA said, adding: "Several other members and civilians were also wounded."

Indian authorities have yet to confirm the strikes.

Camps belonging to another rebel group, the People's Liberation Army, were also targeted, the ULFA added.

The ULFA is one of several insurgent groups in India, and wants independence for the northeastern state of Assam, while the PLA advocates for the secession of Manipur state.

One faction of the ULFA laid down arms and signed a peace deal with the Indian government in 2023.

Rebel attacks have drastically reduced in recent years but the insurgent violence has killed thousands of people, mostly civilians, over the last three decades.