Military: Fighting in northern Sri Lanka kills 29 rebels, 3 soldiers

Sri Lankan troops attacked a rebel bunker line in northern Sri Lanka, sparking a three-hour battle that killed 12 Tamil Tiger fighters, the military said Wednesday. The battle in Murunkaiadipiddi was part of a wave of fighting along the front lines of Sri Lanka's civil war Tuesday that killed 29 rebels and three soldiers, the military said. In Murunkaiadipiddi, troops destroyed five rebel bunkers after a fight that lasted from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., the military said. A total of 12 rebels were killed, and the army recovered the bodies of two male and two female rebel fighters, the military said in a statement. Fighting in other parts of the war zone killed 17 Tamil rebels and three soldiers, the military said. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan was not immediately available for comment. Both sides routinely exaggerate enemy... [read full story]