Imphal, December 22 2008: A DAY after the explosion of a hand grenade in the premises of the Raj Bhavan, Imphal last night, security forces killed at least five underground activists in separate incidents of shoot out which police claimed to be encounters.

Five militants were killed at four separate encounters with police commandos at Lilong area in interior Thoubal district, at Toubungkhok in Imphal west, at Irengban in Bishnupur district and at Yenggaobung, Khamran underLamshang PS in Imphal West district.

Police recovered four small weapons, two hand grenades and some rounds of bullets from the slain militants, the official added.

Two of the militants were gunned down by the personnel of the police commandos attached to the Bishnupur Police Station this afternoon around 3 pm while the other three were killed by the commandos of the Imphal west district police at three separate places.

One was killed this afternoon around 2.30 pm while the other one gunned down at Lilong Lairaching village in the wee hours of today at about 2 am.

Police are on hectic search for the weapons used by the two slain militants at Irengban village as the police commandos believed that the two had dropped the weapons into a pond near the encounter site.

The dead bodies were also found lying near the pond, police said.

A .52 pistol with magazine loaded with two live rounds recovered from the slain militant at Lilong Lairaching which police suspected to be a PULF activist while a 9 mm pistol with four live rounds and two hand grenades were recovered from the deceased at Toubungkhok.

The fourth incident occurred at about 8.50 pm today at Yenggaobung on the road to Khamran from Mayang Langjing under Lamshang PS in Imphal West distrct.

Police recovered one 9 mm pistol along with some live rounds.

The identities of the slain cadres and the groups they belonged to are yet to established.

The dead bodies have been kept at the RIMS morgue, police sources added.