Three militants killed in Manipur gun battles

IMPHAL - Three separatist militants were killed in gun fights with security forces in Manipur, police said Saturday.

“An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter (gun battle) with the combined forces of police and Assam Rifles in Thoubal district late Saturday, while two guerrillas were killed in Imphal East district late Friday night,” a police spokesman said.

Police recovered the bodies of the militants from the jungles and brought them to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here for autopsy.

Arms and ammunition were recovered from both sites of gun fights.

At least fifteen people have been killed in militancy-related incidents in Manipur this year.

There are about 20 militant groups, including seven banned outfits, in Manipur with demands ranging from secession to autonomy. Over 450 people were killed in insurgency-related violence in the northeastern state last year.