Artillery duels in Sri Lanka's war-torn north have killed 18 Tamil Tiger rebels and four soldiers, the defence ministry said Monday.It said 10 soldiers were also injured in the fighting, which took place on Sunday in the Weli Oya and Vavuniya regions. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) did not comment on the fighting, but said one civilian was killed on Sunday when troops launched artillery attacks in the Mannar area along the northwest coast.
Sunday's fighting raises the number of rebels killed by government troops since January to 5,332, while 468 soldiers have died in combat in the same period, according to a tally of defence ministry figures.