Assam Rifles troops killed at least 10 militants during an intense gunfight near the Indo-Myanmar border in Manipur’s Chandel district, officials confirmed on Thursday.

The counter-insurgency operation, which began on Wednesday near New Samtal village in Khengjoy tehsil, is ongoing. A large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the site.

Acting on intelligence inputs, troops confronted suspected insurgents, who opened fire. The Assam Rifles retaliated swiftly, neutralizing 10 militants, the Indian Army’s Eastern Command said.

In related actions, 14 militants from banned outfits including KYKL, PLA, PREPAK, and KCP were arrested in raids across four districts, along with three illegal arms dealers.

Officials described the crackdown as a major step in dismantling insurgent networks in the violence-hit state.