Imphal, December 20 2009: Two suspected cadres of the armed group PULF have been slain in a reported encounter with a combined team of Thoubal police commandos and troops of 34 AR at Leishangthem Khong near Ikop Pat in Thoubal district in the wee hours today.

According to a press release issued by Additional SP Jogeshchandra Haobijam on behalf of Thoubal SSP Clay Khongsai, the combined security team, acting on a specific tip off about movement of armed cadres around Leishangthem and Khelakhong, were conducting a search operation in the area.

But as the security forces started cordoning off the area at about 3.30 am, unidentified armed persons attacked the security forces using lathodes and automatic weapons.

The security forces retaliated resulting in an encounter which lasted for about 20 minutes.

While two UG suspects were killed in the encounter, others managed to flee away taking advantage of darkness.

On searching the area after the encounter, one AK series rifles, one magazine with nine live rounds, one 9 mm pistol, one magazine with six live rounds, one Chinese hand grenade, one magazine of M 16 with 8 live rounds, one fired shell of lathode, one demand letter of PULF and wallet containing Rs 200 were recovered.

Meanwhile, the two slain individuals have been identified as Md Anish (19) s/o Matlif and Md Ali alias Bocha (21) s/o Keram Ali, both belonging to Yairipok Tulihal Konjil.

It was more than a month since Anish was released from jail after being arrested as a PULF cadre.

However, Ali was awaiting results of the VDF recruitment exam.

Ali went out with Anish in the evening of December 15 on the pretext of going to Yairipok.