Colombo:Sri Lankan security forces killed at least 15 Tamil Tiger rebels for the loss of seven soldiers in an upsurge in clashes in the embattled north, the defence ministry said today.

Four soldiers were killed in a single confrontation in the district of Mullaittivu where government forces are trying to dismantle a de facto state of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the ministry said.

It placed total Tiger losses in fighting since yesterday at 15 killed and 13 wounded, with the military suffering a total of seven killed and 12 wounded.

Casualty figures provided by the two sides cannot be verified as the military blocks media access to the front lines and rebel-controlled areas.
Source : PTI