Security forces killed four Muslim rebels in Indias restive north-eastern state of Manipur, police said Saturday. A police spokesman said militants belonging to the outlawed Peoples United Liberation Front (PULF) started shooting at a team of police commandos and paramilitary forces, who returned fire, killing four men.
"Based on specific inputs that a group of militants were taking shelter at a thickly forested area, security forces led an operation in which four PULF rebels were gunned down," a police official said, requesting anonymity. The exchange took place near the village of Irilbung, some 15km (nine miles) east of Manipurs state capital Imphal. Police said they recovered two AK56 rifles, several hand grenades and some rocket-propelled grenades from the dead militants.
The PULF is a rebel group formed by Islamists in Manipur in 1993 to fight for the cause of Muslims in the state, which borders Myanmar. There are about 200,000 Muslims in Manipur, a state of 2.3 million people. There are around 19 militant groups active in Manipur with demands ranging from secession to greater autonomy. More than 10,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Manipur during the past two decades.
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