COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels Wednesday claimed they had killed nine soldiers and repulsed an army advance in areas controlled by the guerrillas to the north of the island.
The pro-rebel, Tamilnet.com website reported that the army faced stiff resistance when it launched twin attacks to break through guerrilla-held areas in Mannar on Tuesday.
"An armoured personnel carrier was destroyed by an LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) mine, killing at least nine soldiers and wounding many," the website said, quoting rebel officials.
There was no immediate comment from the defence ministry, but the military accused the rebels of setting off a roadside mine in Vavuniya on Tuesday, killing two civilians.
Casualty figures cannot be independently verified, as the government prevents journalists and rights groups from travelling into rebel-held areas.
Fighting has intensified since the government in January pulled out of a six-year truce with the Tamil Tigers.
Tens of thousands have died since the rebels launched an armed struggle in 1972 to carve out an independent homeland for minority Tamils in the island's north and east.
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