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Bhutan slows military offensive to expel Indian separatists: Army

IRNA

Guwahati, Dec 29, IRNA -- Bhutan said it was going slow in its 
military offensive to expel Indian separatists out of the Buddhist 
kingdom to keep the casualties down on both sides. 
"The offensives are continuing to remove the militants from 
Bhutanese soil as quickly as possible. At the same time we are 
making efforts in conducting the flushing out operations with the 
minimum loss of lives on both sides," a Royal Bhutan Army 
commander told IRNA by telephone from capital Thimphu on Monday. 
Bhutan says it has destroyed all the 30 camps belonging to three 
Indian separatist groups since the launch of the military offensive 
December 15, the kingdoms first since it fought the British in 1865. 
"We have burnt down all the 30 camps after dislodging the 
militants," the commander said. "The huge arsenal of weapons 
recovered from the rebel bases include 500 AK 47-56 assault rifles, 
328 other assorted arms, rocket launchers, mortars, and an anti- 
aircraft gun." 
Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonpo Jigmi Thinley said the 
anti-India militants adopted a belligerent posture forcing the 
kingdom to order a military assault. 
"They (militants) maintained that they could not leave until 
they had fulfilled the objective of achieving independence from 
India and that meant their perpetual presence in Bhutan," the Prime 
Minister said in a statement. 
"Quite clearly, the presence of the separatist groups from India 
was not only harming the interests of Bhutan but those of our friend, 
India. This is something that no Bhutanese is prepared to tolerate 
under any circumstances." 
Bhutan`s tiny state-run carrier Druk Air has stopped direct 
flights from Thimphu to Bangladesh to prevent anti-Indian rebels 
from escaping to hideouts there. 
Meanwhile, Bhutan handed over 50 Indian militants captured during 
the raids to authorities in the border state of Assam late Saturday. 
Bhutan has released no casualty figures, but the Indian army, 
which helps train the Bhutanese army, says more than 140 rebels have 
died along with eight Bhutanese troops and support personnel since 
the offensive started. The rebels deny any major losses. 
Bhutan said earlier this week that 500 rebels have already 
surrendered to its forces, while Indian officials say they have at 
least 100 rebels in their custody. 
/213 
End