Military kill 10 Tamil Tiger rebels

The Sri Lankan army said today that it killed 10 Tamil Tiger rebels during a battle in the country’s volatile east.

Meanwhile, suspected Tigers ambushed two camps from a breakaway faction, killing several fighters.

“Army troops came under attack this morning and soldiers repulsed their (rebel) artillery and mortar attack,” acting military spokesman Maj Upali Rajapakse said about the battle in eastern Battiacaloa district.

He said the military estimated 10 rebels were killed and 25 others wounded.

There was no immediate comment from the rebels.

The Defence Ministry meanwhile blamed the mainstream Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam for the attacks on the breakaway faction elsewhere in Batticaloa district last night, and the three sides disagreed on the number of casualties.

The pro-rebel TamilNet said unidentified assailants killed at least 10 members of the breakaway Karuna rebel faction and wounded four more.

A spokesman for the Karuna group, Azad Moulana, acknowledged that three members were killed in the attack, and added four attackers were also killed. He blamed the Tigers.