Imphal, October 27 2009: A suspected PLA cadre was killed and two security men including a major were wounded in a six hour long gunfight between a group of well armed rebels and a joint team of Assam Rifles and Paratrooper Regiment later enforced by state police commandos.

Another clash with CRPF at Kotlein also reported today.

The wounded major of the 21 Para Regiment was identified as TJ Singh from Manipur.

He sustained injury at the leg.

The other personnel hurt at the belly was identified as MM Hungchong.

They have been evacuated at Army Hospital at Leimakhong by helicopter from the site of gun fight that lasted till around 3.30 pm.

The around six hour long gunfight broke out in the hilly areas near the Salungpham village in Thoubal District.

The joint security entered to the area this morning at about 8 am engaged in the gunfight with the rebels shortly after reaching the area, reports said.

According to the villagers who witnessed the gun clashes, the group of PLA cadres with sophisticated arms in their hands arrived at Marryland village last night left for the place where the gun clash took place this morning.

The rebels stayed the night at the paddy field with the villager guarding their field the night and when the villagers back home some of them followed them far behind.

Villagers returning home could see security forces taking position nearby the village turned back and informed rebels not to come forward further informing of presence of security forces.

Instead of retreating from the area even though villagers told them to back confirming presence of security forces in the area, some of the rebels took position while some back from the site.

Not sooner had the rebels took position, there erupted exchange of guns between the security forces and the rebels.

Villagers could hear the gun firing sounds from around 9 am and went till around 3.30 pm.

At around 3 pm when the gunfight still in progress, a helicopter landed and evacuated injured security men, villagers informed.

The gunfight was first erupted with the troopers of 21 Para Regiment who were in front position of the counter insurgency operation.

Troops of 34 Assam Rifles followed them in the rear.

Thoubal police commandos reinforced the security forces only after the AR troops in the rear also started engaging fire fight with the rebels.

Security forces in the followed up operation in the area after the firing ceased recovered a dead body of rebel.

He would a cadre of the PLA serving the outfit at the rank of not less than a sergeant major.

An AK rifles, some clothing and raincoat recovered from his possession.

The dead body was transported by the Thoubal police commandos from the hilly area and kept at RIMS morgue this late evening.

Another gunfight between CRPF and some unknown rebels took place at Kotlien along the NH-53 in Tamenglong district early this morning at about 3 am, police report said.

No casualty reported in the gunfight which lasted for about 20 minutes.

However, troops of CRPF recovered an AK-56 rifles from the clash site which was abandoned by the rebels, the report added.