Colombo:
Government forces and separatist Tamil Tigers fought a series of gun battles in Sri Lanka's volatile north, leaving 14 rebels dead, the military said on Sunday.
Separate clashes on Saturday in Vavuniya district killed eight rebels and wounded five soldiers, the defense ministry said in a statement.
Other battles on Saturday in Jaffna and Welioya killed six rebels and wounded 10 soldiers, the statement said.
Rebel spokesperson Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not immediately be reached for comment.
It was not possible to independently verify the military's claims because journalists are banned from the northern jungles where much of the fighting takes place. Each side commonly exaggerates its enemy's casualties while playing down its own.
Fighting has escalated in recent months along the war's front lines, with the government pledging to capture rebel-held territory and crush the insurgents by the end of the year. Diplomats and other observers say the army has faced more resistance than expected.
The Tamil Tiger rebels have fought since 1983 to create an independent state for the island's ethnic minority Tamils, who have suffered marginalization by successive governments controlled by majority ethnic Sinhalese. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
Separate clashes on Saturday in Vavuniya district killed eight rebels and wounded five soldiers, the defense ministry said in a statement.
Other battles on Saturday in Jaffna and Welioya killed six rebels and wounded 10 soldiers, the statement said.
Rebel spokesperson Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not immediately be reached for comment.
It was not possible to independently verify the military's claims because journalists are banned from the northern jungles where much of the fighting takes place. Each side commonly exaggerates its enemy's casualties while playing down its own.
Fighting has escalated in recent months along the war's front lines, with the government pledging to capture rebel-held territory and crush the insurgents by the end of the year. Diplomats and other observers say the army has faced more resistance than expected.
The Tamil Tiger rebels have fought since 1983 to create an independent state for the island's ethnic minority Tamils, who have suffered marginalization by successive governments controlled by majority ethnic Sinhalese. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
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