India on Tuesday safely escorted back through the Moreh border in Manipur 39 Myanmar Army personnel who had entered Mizoram after the fall of their camps to resistance forces on Monday.

The Myanmar troops had crossed over to Zokhawthar in Champhai district of Mizoram from Khawmawi “for their safety” after a combined armed forces of civilians and rebels overran two army camps at upper Khawmawi and Rihkhawdar villages in the neighbouring country.

The river Tiau separates Khawmawi in Myanmar and Zokhawthar in Mizoram.

Rihkhawdar was the first to fall on Monday to the resistance forces that included the Kachin Independent Army, Chin National Army and the Chin Defence Force, followed by the camp in Upper Khawmawi.

An official told The Telegraph that the 39 Myanmar troops were first taken to the 2nd Assam Rifles headquarters at Hnahlan village in Champhai district, about 75km from Zokhawthar.

The official said: “They were flown to Moreh (from Hnahlan) in two choppers in two batches each and then sent to their country (through the nearby Moreh-Tamu integrated check-post). The operation began in the morning and continued till the afternoon. The remaining personnel will also be escorted back."

Tamu is in Myanmar.

Like Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh too share border with Myanmar.

Officials told this newspaper that the defence ministry had “asked” Mizoram police on Monday night to hand over the Myanmar troops to Assam Rifles as they were “responsible” for developments on the border. The Myanmar troops entered Mizoram around 8pm on Monday and were in the safe custody of Zokhawthar police before they were handed over to Assam Rifles.

India shares close defence and trade ties with Myanmar, which is also a gateway to South East Asia. India is seeking to "enhance" its cooperation with Myanmar in line with the Act East and Neighborhood First policies.

Assam Rifles guards the international border with Myanmar in Mizoram but people from both sides can go up to 16km on either side under the Free Movement Regime.

Myanmar Now, an independent news service in that country, quoted the Chin National Army information officer as saying that Rihkhawdar, which comes under the Falam township of Chin State, fell early on Monday following an attack that began at 11pm on Sunday. Five soldiers were taken prisoners, he said.

According to Myanmar Now, over 100 army posts have been taken over “by anti-regime forces around the country since late last month”.

Before the troops, at least 1,400 civilians had flocked to Zokhawthar from the border villages. They were provided shelter and food by the Young Mizo Association and locals with help from the administration.

According to Mizoram officials, the situation on the Myanmar side was “calm and quiet” on Tuesday after intense bombing by a Myanmar jet and chopper which dropped “uncountable bombs” on Monday. “We are closely watching the situation,” a police officer said.