GUWAHATI
\nAt least 13 people were killed in a gunfight between two unknown militant groups in India\u2019s restive Manipur state on Monday, a police official said, seven months after ethnic clashes in the border state killed at least 180 people.
\nTheir bodies, with multiple bullet wounds, were found in a village in Manipur\u2019s Tengnoupal district where the official said a \u201cmassive\u201d gunfight was reported. The state has witnessed sporadic violence since the peak of ethnic clashes that erupted on May 3 between members of the majority Meitei ethnic group and minority Kuki community over sharing government benefits and quotas.
\nRead also: Armed militants kill police officer, ambush security convoy in India\u2019s Manipur
\nThe clashes have marked a rare security failure for Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u2019s government in a state ruled by his Bharatiya Janata Party.
\nNo weapons were found near the bodies, the senior police official told Reuters by phone from state capital Imphal, requesting anonymity. \u201cIt could be possible the weapons were looted after they were killed,\u201d the official said, adding that they could not immediately identify the dead or the militant groups.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GUWAHATI At least 13 people were killed in a gunfight between two unknown militant groups in India\u2019s restive Manipur state on Monday, a police official said, seven months after ethnic clashes in the border state killed at least 180 people. Their bodies, with multiple bullet wounds, were found in a village in Manipur\u2019s Tengnoupal district […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":372340,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-372310","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n