The Indian military has carried out ground-strikes against separatist rebels within Burmese territory who claimed responsibility for an attack in which 18 Indian government forces personnel were reportedly killed last week.

Indian special forces on Tuesday crossed the Burmese border and attacked the camps of rebel groups the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang faction (NSCN) and the Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), who were reportedly hiding out south of the town of Tamu in Sagaing Division.

Reports of the number of casualties in Tuesday’s operations vary, with dna reporting that 20 rebels were killed within Burma, while the New Indian Express said that “it could be more than 40” separatists who were killed in overall retaliatory operations on both sides of the border.

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The Deccan Chronicle reports that the Indian commandoes entered Burmese territory up to five kilometres beyond the border. They were backed up by Mi7 helicopters of the Indian air force, according to local media reports.

The NSCN and KYKL had previously claimed responsibility for the ambush on members of the army’s 6 Dogra Regiment in Manipur’s Chandel District on Thursday of last week.

Maj-Gen Ranbir Singh told the media: “We are in touch with the Myanmar [Burmese] authorities in this matter. There is a history of close cooperation between two militaries and we look forward to working with them to combat such terrorism,” cited in the New Indian Express.

Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said that the go-ahead to pursue the militants had been given by Indian Prime Minister Nerandra Modi, reports Rediff News.