GUWAHATI, India– Indian soldiers killed four rebels in the country's revolt-racked northeast on Monday, officials said, as authorities continued to flush out militants before the country's general election gets underway this week.

Soldiers shot dead four rebels after a fierce gun battle in remote Manipur state, which shares its border with Myanmar, a military spokesman said.

Three militant camps have also been destroyed and the operation is still going on, said Colonel Rajesh Mishra, an army spokesman.

This offensive was to sanitize the areas before the Lok Sabha (lower house) elections, he said from Imphal, the capital of Manipur state.

Indian troops have intensified both foot patrol and aerial surveillance ahead of polling, officials said.

More than 150 people have been killed in rebel attacks in Manipur this year.

India