|
Colombo: Fighting between Sri Lankan soldiers and separatist Tamil rebels left 27 guerrillas and two soldiers dead in the country's embattled north, the military said on Sunday.
Troops fought separate gunbattles with Tamil Tigers on Saturday in Vavuniya district, just south of the rebels' de facto state, killing 11 insurgents.
One soldier was also killed and three others were wounded, he said.
In nearby Mannar district, soldiers killed 15 insurgents, Nanayakkara said. The battle left one soldier dead and five others wounded.
Not possible
One more rebel died in a clash in Jaffna, he said.
The rebels could not be reached for comment. It was not possible to independently verify the military's claims because the fighting took place deep in the jungles of the north, and access to the area is restricted. Each side routinely exaggerates the other's casualties and plays down its own.
Violence has escalated since January 3 when the government withdrew from a 2002 ceasefire, with at least 296 people killed - 283 rebels, nine soldiers and four civilians - according to military figures.
The latest fighting came as Norway, Japan, the United States and European Union urged the government and rebels to respect human rights and called for the presence of UN monitors.
|
