At least 19 troops killed in northeast India

At least 19 soldiers were killed and five injured today when rebels ambushed them in remote northeastern Tripura state, police said.

The soldiers were attacked by an unknown number of armed rebels, 12 miles west of Agartala, the state capital.

The rebels stole at least 19 weapons, including machine guns and ammunition, then fled into the thickly-wooded mountains.

Police and paramilitary soldiers were sent to the area and a search was launched.

More than a dozen guerrilla groups are fighting separatist wars in India’s seven northeastern states.

They complain of alienation, neglect by the federal government and threats to their indigenous cultures.

While there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the rebel National Liberation Front of Tripura has been among those fighting for an independent tribal homeland.

It operates out of bases inside neighbouring Bangladesh, staging hit-and-run attacks on soldiers.

More than 25,000 people have been killed in the fighting in the northeastern states since 1948.