Police officer killed in Sri Lanka gun battle

Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels attacked a police post in eastern Sri Lanka today, triggering a gun battle that left one officer dead, the military said.

The attack happened early today in Eravur when a group of suspected rebels opened fire on three police officers at a checkpoint on the edge of the town, said a defence ministry official.

Eravur is in Batticaloa district, 140 miles east of the capital, Colombo.