Ongoing heavy fighting in the thick jungles of Myanmar between government troops and Indian separatists has left at least five rebels and 10 soldiers dead, a rebel leader said Sunday. Kughalo Mulatonu, a leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), which is fighting for a tribal homeland in India's north-eastern state of Nagaland, said that the rebels were killed in intense shelling.
The bombardment began late Wednesday and was continuing, he said.
"Myanmarese soldiers attacked some of our bases with rocket launchers and mortars, killing five of our fighters," Mulatonu told AFP by telephone from somewhere along the India-Myanmar border.
"We also killed 10 of their soldiers in retaliatory strikes."
He said the attacks were taking place along the Chindwin River in the north of Myanmar, close to the abandoned World War II Shempuyang airport.
He said the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, which was formed in 1980, has at least 50 camps with some 5,000 guerrilla fighters entrenched in fortified bunkers in the Sagaing Division of Myanmar.
"Our fighters are prepared to die. We are not going to leave our bases," Mulatonu said.
An Indian intelligence official said authorities were monitoring the clashes.
"We don't know about the casualties but something is happening there," he told AFP, asking not to be named.
"Keeping that in mind, we have put the border on alert and security has been beefed up at vulnerable points to prevent militants from sneaking in."