Sri Lanka: New fighting kills 36

A new wave of fighting across Sri Lanka's embattled northern region killed at least 32 ethnic Tamil rebels and four overnment soldiers, the military said Wednesday. Fighting has escalated in recent months as government forces have tried to break into the Tamil Tigers' northern strongholds from four fronts. The government has pledged to capture rebel-held territory and crush the insurgents by the end of the year.

The latest battles took place Tuesday in the Mannar, Vavuniya, Welioya and Jaffna areas bordering the guerrillas' de facto state, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said.

Army troops advanced into rebel territory in Mannar district from three directions, capturing about a square mile in a battle that killed 10 rebels and wounded five soldiers, Nanayakkara said. Other fighting in Mannar killed three rebels and one soldier, he said.

Separate clashes in Vavuniya killed 13 rebels and one soldier, while battles in Jaffna and Welioya killed six rebels and two soldiers, Nanayakkara said.

Also Tuesday, air force fighters bombed a training base in the rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu while helicopter gunships pounded rebel bunkers along the front lines in Mannar, a military statement said.

The military did not give any figures for casualties or damage from the air attacks.

Rebel spokesman Thaya Master confirmed that heavy fighting took place in Mannar on Tuesday, but did not give casualty figures. He declined to comment on other fighting, saying he needed to check the military's claims with his superiors.

It was not possible to independently verify the military reports because journalists are banned from the northern jungles where much of the fighting takes place. Each side commonly exaggerates its enemy's casualties and downplays its own.

The Tamil Tiger rebels have fought since 1983 to create an independent state for ethnic minority Tamils, who have been marginalized by successive governments controlled by ethnic Sinhalese. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the conflict.