Chandel (Manipur): A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the 33rd battalion of Assam Rifles (AR) and two militants of the KYKL were killed in an exchange of fire while jawans rescued an abducted businessman in the wee hours of July 11 in Manipur's Chandel district, AR sources said.

A spokesman of the AR told reporters that huge arms and ammunition including one ak-47 rifle with three magazines, two single barrel guns, two magazines of 7.62 SLR, 500 grams of explosive materials, three hand grenades and several life round of ammunitions were recovered from the militants.

Describing the incident, the spokesman said that A R personnel cordoned up some portions of Charangching Khunou area, about 5 km from Chandel district headquarters in the wee hours where the militants kept the abducted businessman Rajmohan Singh under duress.

When subedar K C Varma asked to open the door of a house, underground KYKL militants opened fire killing him on the spot. The jawans retaliated, the spokesman said.

A R personnel killed two militants including one hardcore on the spot but others managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

The spokesman said that they found the abducted businessman Rajmohan Singh with his hands and legs tied up and rescued him safely.

He claimed that this was the second incident to rescue abducted person from the clutches of the militants by AR in Manipur. Earlier, a month before AR rescued four abducted persons at Shikhong area in Thoubal district from KYKL outfit.

PTI