Indian instructors are training the Burmese army and say joint operations along their border could follow.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshi soldiers on Friday arrested six suspected Indian rebels in a raid on a border village.

Last month around 6,000 Bhutanese soldiers moved in to destroy up to 30 camps held by Indian rebels.

India announced on Friday it might launch joint military operations with Burma, also known as Myanmar, against rebels based in Burmese territory.

Indian Chief of Staff General NC Vij said: "Army-to-army relations between India and Myanmar have been very good and we have been helping them."

Dhaka's denial

The general was speaking on a tour of the state of Assam following Bhutan's offensive against Assamese rebels in its territory.

General Vij said the routed rebels would naturally try to regroup in Burma and Bangladesh.

General Vij [centre] says rebels are now using Bangladesh

Burma has aided the Indian military against the rebels at least three times in the past 10 years.

The rebels, from a range of ethnic groups and north-eastern Indian states, are fighting for autonomy or independence from India.

General Vij said the presence of militants was higher in Bangladesh than Burma.

Dhaka has repeatedly denied rebels use its territory as a base for attacks on India.

However, it announced on Friday that Bangladeshi border guards had arrested six Indian nationals, suspected to be members of an insurgent group, in a raid on a village in the north-eastern district of Habiganj.

The six men, thought to be from the National Liberation Front of Tripura, were found with arms and ammunition.

Indian forces are training Burmese in border operations

The group is one of a dozen militant organisations seeking independence for the Indian state of Tripura.

Bangladeshi junior home minister Lutfozzaman Babar said the latest operation was part of the government's continuing efforts to make sure no militant groups could operate inside the country.

Mr Babar denied the operation was a response to an Indian request for action.

Bhutan's crackdown on militants began on 15 December.

General Vij said about 650 militants were either killed or captured during operations on either side of the India-Bhutan border.

Bhutan says its forces destroyed all 30 camps run by the militants.

But General Vij said rebels still controlled two bases and fighting was continuing there.