From correspondents in Tripura, India, 06:31 PM IST

Two separatists were gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Tripura Tuesday, the police said.

A police spokesperson said the encounter took place at Longtharai Valley in Dhalai district, 80 km north of capital Agartala, in which two militants of the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) were killed.

'A counter-insurgency operation was going on in the area when security personnel came under fire from a group of tribal guerrillas. The Tripura State Rifles soldiers retaliated, leading to the incident,' said police spokesperson Nepal Das.

Other militants, led by NLFT's self-styled area commander Swapan Debbarma alias Jaggu, managed to escape.

Some arms and ammunition, including two Chinese grenades, were recovered from the slain rebels.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)