At least 15 left-wing Naxalite rebels were killed in a clash between two rival factions in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand in the wee hours of Thursday, a senior police official said.

"The incident happened at Lakarbandha village in the state's Chatra district. In the gunbattle between the two Naxalite, 15 top rebel leaders died. We have recovered 10 self-loading rifles, one AK-47, a carbine and many live cartridges and explosives from the village. They were looted by the Naxalites earlier from the local police force," he said on condition of anonymity.

The police also rushed to the spot but it was too late, the official said, adding that the left-wing rebels have suffered huge leadership losses.

The Naxalites are active in at least seven Indian states.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described Naxalite insurgency as the country's biggest internal security threat.