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 | | The Tamil Tigers are in control of territory in the north of Sri Lanka |
At least 28 rebel fighters and 11 soldiers have died in fighting in northern Sri Lanka.
The military announced the deaths on Sunday, saying that 25 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters and 34 troops were also injured in the fighting.
Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, a military spokesman, said that clashes on Sunday occurred on three fronts separating Sri Lanka's state-controlled territory and the de facto LTTE state in the north.
Nanayakkara claimed that the troops had captured five positions close to a major LTTE base in the north.
Escalating violence The clashes were in the Mannar, Vavuniya, Weli Oya and Jaffna regions. The LTTE did not immediately comment on the events. Independent confirmation of the deaths could not be gained as access to the regions is heavily restricted.Fighting has escalated since the start of the year when the government withdrew from a Norwegian-brokered truce with the LTTE. The government is aiming to eliminate LTTE control of northern territory on the island. The LTTE has been fighting for a separate homeland for ethnic Tamils since 1983. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the civil war.
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