COLOMBO, Oct 16 (AFP): At least 38 Tamil Tiger rebel fighters and government soldiers have been killed in fresh fighting in Sri Lanka, the defence ministry said Tuesday.
The guerrillas killed seven soldiers in an attack inside the Yala National Park, Sri Lanka's main wildlife sanctuary in the southeast, a military official said.
Six of the soldiers died in an overnight attack on an army outpost and the seventh trooper was killed and three more wounded in a mine attack as additional troops were poured into the area, officials said.
The defence ministry meanwhile said at least 30 rebels were killed and many more wounded in several exchanges of fire in the north of the island where a frontline separates government territory and the Tamil Tigers' mini-state.
It said one government soldier was also killed and seven were wounded following the clashes Monday at Mullikulam in the tense northern district of Vavuniya.
The attack inside the Yala sanctuary came a day before the authorities were due to open it to visitors. The guerrillas had carried out several attacks against security forces and wildlife employees.
Fresh fighting in Sri Lanka kills 38
FE Team | Published: October 17, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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