New Delhi: Terming Bhutan's military operations against Indian insurgents as a "resounding success", Army chief General N C Vij today (Dec 19, 2003) said Thimpu has handed over the first batch of seven captured terrorists to the Indian Army.

"We expect that more batches of the Northeast insurgents captured by the Bhutanese would be handed over during the next few days," the Army chief said on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) seminar on "Army-Industry Partnership" in New Delhi.

Key underground leaders were among the insurgents handed over to India, Vij said, maintaining that the ultras were reeling under the pressure mounted by the Royal Bhutanese Army (RBA) and Royal Guards.

"We expect that the operations would go on for some time," the Army chief said, reiterating that the entire exercise was being conducted by the RBA, with India only providing logistic support.

Vij replied in the negative to questions whether some of the Northeast insurgents, now on the run, had attempted to infiltrate into the Indian territory.

"A big dragnet has been spread on our side of the border and if the insurgents attempt to cross over into the Indian side, they will get a hot reception," Vij said

He said that adequate forces and equipment had been put all round the Bhutan border.

On ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir borders, Vij said it was holding and asserted that infiltration ratio had come down as border crossing were not easy in winter.

He said the Army had evolved major winter warfare plans and new operations would soon be undertaken against terrorists inside Jammu and Kashmir.

PTI