Six militants killed in India's restive north-east

Jun 28, 2009, 12:12 GMT

New Delhi - At least six separatist militants were killed in separate gunbattles with security forces in India's north-eastern states of Assam and Manipur, a news report said Sunday.

While two militants were killed in Assam on Sunday, four rebels were shot dead in Manipur since Saturday, the PTI news agency reported quoting officials sources. No soldier or policeman was wounded in the encounters.

Two militants from the banned Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF) were killed in the gunbattle with the army in the Karbi Anglong district, over 350 kilometres east of state capital Guwahati.

The KLNLF, a rebel group fighting for an independent homeland for the majority Karbi tribe in the area, has alleged that security forces were 'indulging in fake encounters and killing innocent people.'

To protest the killings, the outfit has called for a shutdown in the district on July 1.

In Manipur, the first encounter took place in the Kwakta area in the central Bishnupur district during operations led by a joint police and paramilitary team on Saturday.

During the encounter, two unidentified militants were killed. Some arms and ammunition were recovered after the shoot-out.

In another gunbattle between police commandos and armed rebels in neighbouring Imphal district, a militant was shot dead, the report said.

A militant belonging to the Kuki National Front (KNF) was killed in combat with the Assam Rifles troopers in the Senapati district.

Manipur which is among India's smallest states has a population of over 2.3 million inhabitants. More than 19 militant groups are active in Manipur, a state bordering Myanmar, with demands ranging from secession to greater autonomy.

More than 375 people, including civilians, were killed in the militancy-related violence in the troubled state last year.

India's north-east is a volatile region where nearly 40 separatist, tribal or leftist groups are active in five states. More than 15,000 people have lost their lives to insurgencies in the region in the past decade.