New Delhi - Security personnel killed at least three separatist rebels in India's north-eastern state of Manipur, a news report said Saturday.

A group of militants opened fire at a group of policemen patrolling an area in Imphal West district, 50 kilometres west of the state capital, Imphal, on Friday night, the PTI news agency reported.

Two militants were killed in the ensuing firefight, official sources told the PTI, adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from the scene.

Police were yet to ascertain the identity of the slain militants and their affiliation.

In another gunbattle in the same district on Friday, a suspected militant of the People's United Liberation Front was killed in an encounter with the police commandos.

More than 19 militant groups are active in Manipur, a state bordering Myanmar, with demands ranging from secession to greater autonomy.

According to government data, more than 270 people, including civilians, have been so far killed in the militancy-related violence in the restive state this year.

India's north-east is a volatile region where nearly 40 separatist, tribal or leftist groups are active in five states. More than 15,000 people have lost their lives to insurgencies in the region in the past decade. (dpa)