At least 23 combatants were killed as fresh fighting erupted in Sri Lanka's northwest on Friday, AP quoted the military as saying. Military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said 20 Tamil Tiger separatists and three soldiers were killed in clashes in Sri Lanka's Mannar district. No immediate comment was available from the insurgents. Tiger spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan said earlier about 300 Sri Lankan soldiers entered guerrilla-held areas in the north early Friday and were firing on rebel positions. Samarasinghe said the military launched an operation to neutralize rebel gun positions in that area.