3 rebels, policeman killed in Sri Lankan violence

Associated Press, Wed December 27, 2006 06:03 EST . - - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Government forces killed three suspected Tamil rebels in two separate incidents in Sri Lanka - 's volatile northeast on Wednesday, while a roadside bomb blamed on the rebels killed a policeman, the military said. Sri Lanka - 's two-decade civil war largely subsided in 2002 with a Norway brokered a cease-fire, but the truce has come under serious threat due to escalating violence.

The rebels say they are fighting to create a separate homeland for the country's 3.1 million ethnic minority Tamils, who face discrimination at the hands of the majority Sinhalese.

The government says it can give limited autonomy to Tamils, but only within a united Sri Lanka –

Skirmishes continue with heavy losses to the LTTE

The fresh round of violence unleashed by the LTTE terrorists since the Christmas Day is still continuing in the North and East, military sources said.

In the latest episode of these skirmishes, the Special Task Force personnel killed an LTTE cadre who had lobbed a hand grenade at them at Kuruppalmadam in Batticaloa this afternoon.

The STF personnel received information from a Tamil civilian in the area that a group of LTTE cadres had been setting up a claymore mine on the road leading to Ambalanthurai. The STF personnel who rushed to the location were attacked by the terrorists with a hand grenade to which the soldiers retaliated to.

On the subsequent search operation the Soldiers found a body of a slain LTTE cadre, a claymore mine, an electrical switch and a 50m- wire roll.

Meanwhile, at Mahindapura in Trincomalee a soldier suffered injuries as the LTTE terrorists fired mortar shells at the Army camp at Mahindapura, Tuesday morning around 11.45.

In the northern theatre, the Army soldiers gunned down two LTTE cadres who had attempted to penetrate into the security forces defence line at Muhamalai around 5 this morning. The soldiers also found a T-56 machine gun, two magazines and a GPS device along with the two bodies of the LTTE cadres.

Separately, the Army troops on the search operation in Navanthurai area, found another body of a slain LTTE cadre, Tuesday morning around 11.40. The LTTE cadre was believed be a member of the group of LTTE cadres who had lobbed hand grenades at the Army soldiers on the Christmas day. Five more LTTE cadres were killed in the security forces retaliation to the attack that took place on the Christmas Eve.

In Vavuniya, the LTTE terrorists lobbed a hand grenade at the office belonging to PLOT, a popular Tamil political party, around 7.25 Tuesday night. However, no casualties were reported in this incident.