LTTE, SL army battle for territory in eastern Lanka

The Sri Lankan military, backed by tanks and war planes, battled tamil tiger rebels for over three hours on Thursday for control of territory in the east.

The Sri Lankan military, backed by tanks and war planes, battled Tamil Tiger rebels for over three hours on Thursday for control of territory in the east, a military spokeman said. The rebels said they killed seven government commandoes.

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In two incidents elsewhere, the military said rebels killed seven Sri Lankan security men. In a third operation, the military said air force planes pounded a rebel naval camp in the north.

Maj Upali Rajapakse, a Sri Lankan military spokesman, said seven soldiers were wounded in the fight in eastern Batticaloa district. It was not immediately clear if the seven wounded were the same that the rebels listed as dead.

He said rebel casualties were estimated in the "dozens," although rebels said just one of their fighters had been killed.