Three Tamil Tigers killed in Sri Lanka clash

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COLOMBO, Jun 19 (AFP): Sri Lankan security forces killed three Tamil Tiger rebels Tuesday in renewed fighting in the east of the island, the defence ministry said.
The fighting took place in an area between the coastal towns of Batticaloa and Trincomalee, where government troops are trying to clear pockets of guerrillas who escaped a major offensive earlier this year.
Security forces have stepped up operations in the east since last year, with the stated aim of isolating the Tamil Tigers to their de facto mini-state in the north.
More than 5,000 people have been killed since December 2005, when a Norweigian-arranged truce began to collapse. The conflict has claimed over 60,000 lives in the past 35 years.