Sources say 50 militants carried out the attack and used US-made rocket launchers on the Army commandos travelling in two trucks.

The Army has been conducting search operations to trace and eliminate the militants involved in the attack in Chandel, which is two hours on foot from the Myanmar border. The border has been closed, but the security agencies fear the attackers may have crossed over.

Post mortems will be conducted today at the Army base hospital in Limakong, after which the bodies of the soldiers killed will be flown back to their hometowns, mostly on Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Army has requested the Air Force to send a special plane to lift the bodies.

The Centre has been in a huddle since Thursday's attack. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar was briefed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and the Army Chief last night. He also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The 6 Dogra infantry regiment was being de-inducted from the Moltuk Valley, when a convoy of 46 men was attacked by militants who used Rocket Propelled Grenade or RPG launchers and an improvised explosive device or IED.

Most of the soldiers killed were in the lead vehicle of the convoy, which bore the brunt of the attack. A junior commissioned officer was among those killed. Eleven were injured.

Sources said the attack was extremely well planned and is believed to be the handiwork of a group of organisations. Myanmar-based rebels are suspected to be launching pad for this attack, said the sources.

A coalition of insurgent groups led by the NSCN-K (Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland) under the name United Nationalist Liberation Front of West South-East Asia has claimed responsibility for the attack. The NSCN-K had recently walked out of a 15-year old ceasefire agreement with the Centre.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on Thursday, "Today's mindless attack in Manipur is very distressing. I bow to each and every soldier who has sacrificed his life for the Nation."