Kohima: Security forces are on the alert in Nagaland amidst reports of Myanmar Army launching an operation against the NSCN-K (National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Khaplang) sheltering in that country.

According to NSCN (K) sources Myanmarese Army personnel were moving towards their camps located in Sagaing region in the Myanmar-Nagaland-Arunachal Pradesh triangle.

There were, however no confirmation of the operation either by the Indian security forces or the Nagaland Government.

But Assam Rifles has gone on high alert with patrols being sent out to different parts of the State and vehicles on the highway subjected to strict checking to prevent any rebels entering the country.

An Assam Rifles official when approached for comment on the situation, however, termed it as a "routine operation alert" denying any knowledge of operation by the Myanmar Army.

NSCN (K), which had inked a ceasefire in April 2001, has its camps in the forests of Myanmar near the Indo-Myanmar border in Nagaland.

In fact security forces in Nagaland have been on the job since the Royal Bhutan Army (RBA) launched operation in that country against ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam), NDFB (National Democratic Front of Bodoland) and KLO (Kamtapur Liberation Organisation) last month (Dec 2003).

Earlier reports had suggested that fleeing rebels from Bhutan had taken shelter in the Mon district of State, which is close to Assam's Sibsagar district, a NSCN (K) stronghold.

NSCN (K) has a number of camps in northern Myanmar and its chief, S S Khaplang is believed to be in one of the camps in that region. Both Assam Rifles and State police have confirmed that some ULFA militants had sneaked into Mon after operation by RBA as the outfit had close links with NSCN (K).