New Delhi, Jan 01: India feels that Bangladesh should follow on the footsteps of Bhutan and dissuade northeast Indian terrorists from using its soil, top defence ministry officials said today. The officials said that Dhaka needs to dissuade terrorists who try to enter its territory to find some space to stay on. "If that happens, India's eastern borders will see a decline in whatever terrorists activities.”

Pointing out that the Bhutan monarch, King Jigme Singye Wangchuk had done a "magnificent job" by ordering highly successful operations against northeastern terrorists, officials said that the king, who has military training, had led from the upfront.

They said that New Delhi had consistently taken up with Dhaka the issue of the presence of top northeastern terrorist leadership and cadres in Bangladesh.
The officials remarks assume significance in wake of remarks by the army chief Gen N C Vij that mopping up operations were being continued by the Bhutanese Army.

Before leaving for a visit to the northeast, particularly units engaged in sealing the Indo-Bhutan border, Vij said that the morale of all the Assam terrorists groups was very low as indicated by 89 terrorists who had surrendered to Indian troops since the launch of operations by the Bhutanese army.

Bureau Report