Tamil Tiger rebels escalated attacks against government forces in northeastern Sri Lanka Friday, killing six security personnel and four civilians, defense officials said.
Four members of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were also killed in the skirmishes, defense ministry spokesman Sanath Karunaratne said.
The first clashes erupted when Tiger gunmen ambushed a joint army and police patrol at the village of Divullewa, killing two constables, two soldiers and two civilians.
Karunaratne said the patrol had been surprised by Tiger guerrillas. Military reinforcements were rushed to the site of the incident to search for the attackers.
"There was a confrontation with the reinforcement column about six kilometers away," Karunaratne said. "In that attack two more of our men were killed and we can confirm that four Tigers were also killed."
Local officials said the guerrillas had also killed another two civilians before escaping.
A group of 15 Tigers had also abducted a Sinhalese fisherman in the area, Karunaratne added. Another fisherman who escaped the guerrillas had reported the abduction.
The latest rebel attacks come nine days after the guerrillas ambushed a navy bus in the same region by exploding a mine planted on the side of the road, killing 14 and wounding 38.
Norway's attempts to broker peace between the LTTE and the government remain deadlocked. More than 60,000 people have been killed in fighting in the past three decades -- COLOMBO (AFP)
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