Colombo: At least 29 Tamil Tigers and eight soldiers were killed in fierce clashes in the restive northern region of Sri Lanka, officials said here today.

Troops killed ten LTTE militants while losing three of its men in an encounter at Ilanthivan area in Mannar early today, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said, adding two more Tiger rebels were gunned down at the area by security forces later in the day. In a separate incident, two militants were killed by troops in Ummarikulam area in eastern Ampara today, officials said.

In clashes yesterday, at least four Tiger militants were killed when the army launched a strong attack against the LTTE militants at Madhu in Mannar, the MCNS said. It said three soldiers were also killed and four injured during the attack. A female LTTE cadre was gunned down in the Adampan area of Mannar while another militant was killed in a confrontation in the Pulmoddai area in the region also yesterday, the army said.

Two militants were killed in another incident at Adampan in Mannar yesterday, it said. In clashes in Janakapura in North-east Welioya, troops killed one militant yesterday, the defence ministry said.

Source : PTI