ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

by Salai Pi Pi | New Delhi (Mizzima) – An eight year old Burmese girl in Bokkan village, Tamu Township along the Indo-Burma border lost her right arm in an explosion at her residence on Sunday evening, her mother said.

Ms. Mawite, mother of the girl – Lalawmawi - who is admitted to Tamu hospital told Mizzima that at about 7 p.m. (Burmese time) something, which looked like a hand grenade, fell in their house and exploded injuring her daughter who was standing inside.

"My daughter lost her right arm and was injured in her right leg, but the rest of us are fine. The room is in a mess," Mawi told Mizzima.

While the origin of the explosion is unclear, Mawite said, she along with the villagers heard gun fire across their village in the Indian side of the border.

Bokkan is located along the Tamu-Kalewa highway in the Kabaw Valley and is about 20 miles south of Tamu town and the Indo-Burma border trade point. The highway runs almost parallel to the Indo-Burma border, and several Indian villages can be seen from the highway.

According to sources on the border, on Sunday a gun battle took place between India's Assam Rifles and Manipuri militants along the Indo-Burma border opposite Bokkan village.

"There was an encounter between Assam rifles and Manipur militants. But the encounter lasted only for a few minutes," the source said, adding that following the encounter the Manipuri militants fled towards Bokkan village.

According to the source Assam Rifles fired several rounds and hurled a few grenades at the fleeing Manipuri militants. The source added that a stray grenade might have fallen in Mawite's house.

While it was not possible to reach authorities in Bokkan village due to lack of communication, Mawite said she was compensated with 50,000 kyat (approximately USD 40) by authorities in Tamu town.

The source said such small skirmishes between Indian security forces and the Manipuri militants are frequent along the border. The militants, who are sheltered on Burmese soil, frequently launch hit-and-run attacks on Indian soldiers who patrol the border.

The source said, the militants roam freely on Burmese soil and do not have problems with the Burmese Army.