Sri Lanka: 46 killed in fresh violence

At least 42 LTTE militants and four security personnel were killed in fresh bloodletting in the embattled northern Sri Lanka.

In fierce clashes at Periyapatrichurichchan in Northern Vavuniya, troops killed 15 tiger rebels on Saturday, the military said on Sunday.

Three soldiers also laid their lives in the confrontation while seven others sustained injuries, they said.

As many as four militants were killed in clashes by the troops in Chettikulam, Ittikandal and Naedunkandal In North-western Mannar on Saturday, the Army said.

One soldier was killed in Adampan in North-eastern Sri Lanka on Saturday, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.

Separately, in Kokkuthuduvai in North-eastern Welioya, troops killed three LTTE cadres in a clash on Saturday, it said.

Over 1,000 rebels have died since the government decided to end a six-year-old tattered ceasefire from January 16.

At Kovilmode and Navatkulam area in Northern Wanni, security personnel killed three rebels on Saturday, the Defence Ministry said.

In another incident, six militants were killed in three separate incidents in Vavuniya on Saturday, the MCNS said.

Separate confrontations that took place in Periyapantrichurichchan and Umayaratuvarankulam areas in Vavuniya left three militants dead, it said.

At Muhalame in Jaffna peninsula, troops killed five militants in a clash on Saturday; the MCNS said adding three other militants were killed in separate attacks in Nagarkovil and Muhamale last evening.

Source: NDTV