By Subir Bhaumik BBC correspondent in Calcutta

Ten soldiers and nine separatist rebels have been killed in two separate incidents of violence in India's troubled north-eastern region.

In the state of Manipur bordering Burma, 10 troops of a paramilitary force were killed in an attack by separatist rebels.

A convoy of the paramilitary Assam Rifles came under heavy fire at Sangshak village about 50 kilometres (31 miles) from Manipur's capital, Imphal, at midday.

Earlier in the day, the Indian army said it had stormed a camp belonging to the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) along Assam's border with Bangladesh, and killed nine rebels.

The other NDFB rebels fled into a jungle to save themselves, the army said.

Seriously wounded

In the Manipur attack, the heavily-armed separatist rebels opened out from both sides of a hilly road.

One vehicle in the convoy was totally destroyed when the rebels lobbed grenades at it.

The soldiers, who included an officer, died on the spot. Five other soldiers were injured.

Doctors said that the condition of two of those injured was serious.

No rebel group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far, but intelligence officials said either the Peoples Liberation Army, Opla, or the United National Liberation Front, the UNLF, two of Manipur's most powerful rebel groups, were responsible for the attack.