On January 13, one trooper of Indian 21 Para commandos and two People's Liberation Army (PLA) militants were killed in an exchange of fire at Sinum village, about 10 km inside Myanmar near the international border, reports The Hindu. This was the first major offensive by the Indian army after the killing of five Assam Rifles personnel including a Colonel and his wife and son in an ambush on November 13 in Churachandpur district of Manipur. The encounter took place when PLA militants were on a morning physical exercise routine. The two militants killed in the encounter were identified as Leichil and Nongdamba. The remaining militants fled after snatching the AK-47 rifle from the dead trooper.