COLOMBO, June 24 (AFP): Elite Sri Lankan troops killed at least 13 Tamil Tiger rebels in clashes in the north of the country, the defence ministry said Sunday.
Members of the special forces attacked the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at two locations in the northern district of Vavuniya Saturday, killing a total of 13 guerrillas, the ministry said in a statement.
Both sides routinely make casualty claims that are impossible to independently verify. There was no immediate comment from the rebels.
The latest violence came as the military said they were stepping up a campaign against the Tamil Tigers in the east of the island despite efforts by peace broker Norway to rescue a truce in place since 2002.
More than 60,000 people are reported to have been killed in the separatist campaign in the past 35 years.
Sri Lanka claims 13 rebels killed
FE Team | Published: June 25, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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