Tamil Tiger guerrillas launched a retaliatory attack against government forces in eastern Sri Lanka today, killing at least five soldiers and losing three of their own, officials said.
The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) mounted the assault against the army at Kahawattamunai, a day after Special Task Force (STF) police commandos smashed a rebel base in the region and killed 16 guerrillas.
In the rebel counterattack, five soldiers were killed and another 10 escaped with injuries. About 15 civilians were also caught up in the crossfire and were rushed to hospital, local officials said.
The guerrillas used mortar bombs as well as automatic assault rifles to attack the army post.
Army reinforcements were sent to Kahawattamunai from the nearby army detachment at Valachchenai in the Batticaloa district, officials said.
Yesterday, the STF commandos had recovered the bodies of 11 LTTE cadres after smashing three camps within a major rebel base in the Kanjikudichchiaru jungle.
Another five rebels were said to have died in that attack. There were no immediate reports of casualties among the STF commandos.
Tiger guerrillas are leading a drawn out campaign for independence in the island's northern and eastern regions. More than 60,000 people have been killed in fighting in the past three decades.
AFP