5 Ulfa militants, Indian army major killed in Nagaland

An Indian army major and five militants were killed in a gunfight in an operation against a combined group of the United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) in the northeastern state of Nagaland, close to the border with Myanmar, police said Wednesday.

The gunfight broke out late Tuesday after troops raided a militant hideout in the forests of Mon district in Nagaland state following an intelligence tip-off.

The militants lobbed grenades and fired with automatic rifles at the troops, triggering a nearly eight-hour gunfight.

"The officer was killed in the initial assault and two soldiers were injured. Five terrorists have been killed," Nagaland police chief LL Doungel told reporters.

Search operations are still on in the area to prevent militants from escaping to Myanmar, he said.

Ulfa was blamed for the 2015 attack on an army convoy in Manipur state that left 20 soldiers dead, prompting India to carry-out strikes inside Myanmar against the rebels.

Northeast India, linked to the rest of the country by a narrow land corridor, has seen decades of unrest among ethnic and separatist groups.

The region is home to dozens of tribal groups and small guerilla armies whose demands range from greater autonomy to secession from India.

Over the years the insurgency has waned across the region, with many groups striking deals with New Delhi for more powers.

At least 50,000 people have lost their lives in the conflicts since the first insurgency broke out in Manipur in the early 1950s.