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| Friday, 26 December 2003 |
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Seven more killed in campaign against Bhutan-based rebels GUWAHATI, India, Thursday (AFP) Indian troops Thursday shot dead seven suspected rebels fleeing a military offensive in the neighbouring kingdom of Bhutan, the army said. Five militants were killed when they tried to sneak into the revolt-ridden Indian state of Assam from Bhutan in the thickly forested Darrangamela area, an army spokesman said. He said soldiers shot dead two more rebels near the border in Assam's western Darrang district. The incidents raise to 141 the number of rebels killed by Indian or Bhutanese troops since the kingdom launched a drive to evict the militants December 15 with the support of its giant neighbour, according to Indian army figures. The Indian military has also reported the deaths of eight Bhutanese troops and logistical personnel. Bhutan says it has destroyed 30 rebel camps but that militants were still hiding in the jungles. India has offered an amnesty to militants who surrender by January 31. A Bhutanese army official said the kingdom has arrested six of its nationals since the operation began on charges of helping the separatists keep their supply routes. "Any Bhutanese national found helping the militants would be punished severely," the official told AFP. |
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