25 killed in Sri Lanka sea battle

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COLOMBO, Mar 30 (AFP): At least 24 Tamil Tiger rebels and a navy sailor were killed in a major sea battle off Sri Lanka's northeast coast Monday, a navy spokesman said.
Government forces sank four boats of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) off the coast of Mullaittivu, spokesman D K P Dassanayake said.
He said one sailor was killed and three more wounded in the sea battle. The battle came as ground troops stepped up attacks against the Tigers who have been cornered in a narrow strip of jungle in Mullaittivu.