S Lanka clashes 'kill 26 rebels'

20/06/2008| IslamWeb

 The Sri Lankan military says 26 Tamil Tiger rebels and three soldiers have been killed in fighting in the north of the island.

A defence ministry official said the latest fighting took place in the Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya regions.

He said 17 soldiers had been wounded in the clashes. There has been no comment from the rebels about the fighting.

The Sri Lankan army has pledged to defeat the rebels in their northern stronghold before the end of this year.

On Thursday, fighting in Vavuniya and Mannar killed 17 rebels and three soldiers dead, a defence ministry official told the Associated Press news agency.

He said separate clashes in Jaffna and Welioya killed nine rebels and injured 33 rebels and eight soldiers.

There has been intense fighting between the rebels and the army in the north over the last month.

The military is carrying out an offensive which it says is aimed at crushing the rebels by the end of this year.

Heavy casualties


Both sides in the war claim to have inflicted heavy casualties on the other in recent weeks.

It is impossible to verify either account because the government bars journalists from the frontline areas.

Troops drove the Tamil Tigers from bases in the east last year and are now trying to press home their advantage in the north, where the rebels have their main stronghold.

Violence has intensified since the government pulled out of a truce this year.

The rebels have fought for a generation for an independent state for the Tamil minority in the island's north and east.

About 70,000 people have been killed since the civil war began in 1983.

 

PHOTO CAPTION:

Government troops made gains in the east last year

 

BBC