State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has written to the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, to express condolences over the killing of seven Hindu pilgrims by suspected militants on July 10, say media reports.
The Hindus were making a pilgrimage to the Amarnath temple in the Himalayas in troubled Jammu and Kashmir State when they were attacked.
Those killed included six women, reports said.
In a July 13 message issued on behalf of the government and herself, the State Counsellor “offered deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to the Prime Minister of India and to the People of India, especially to the bereaved families”.
Aung San Suu Kyi was among several international leaders who condemned the attack and offered condolences.
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In a separate development, Tatmadaw Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was due to meet Modi in New Delhi on July 14 as he wraps up an eight-day visit to India.
The meeting was also due to be attended by India’s defence minister, Mr Arun Jaitley, and national security advisor, Mr Ajit Doval, the Times of India reported.
Min Aung Hlaing began his trip on July 7 with a visit to Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha gained enlightenment, and was guest of honour that evening at a dinner hosted by India’s army chief, General Bipin Rawat, at the Officer’s Training Academy at nearby Gaya.
India has steadily increased defence cooperation with Myanmar in recent years. Indian defence equipment sold to Myanmar includes 105mm light artillery guns, rocket launches, rifles, radars, mortars, night-vision devices, war-gaming software, gunboats, sonars and acoustic domes, the Times of India said.
The two sides recently concluded a US$37.9 million deal for India to supply Myanmar with lightweight torpedoes, it said.
