Soldiers killed 16 separatist Tamil Tigers in separate gun battles in Sri Lanka's north and east on Thursday, the military said. Army troops and rebels exchanged fire in a pre-dawn clash across the de facto border that separates government- and rebel-held territories in Muhamalai on the northern Jaffna peninsula, leaving six guerrillas dead, a defense official said on condition of anonymity citing government policy. Hours later, soldiers confronted two guerrilla groups in northern Mannar district, killing eight insurgents, he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. Early Thursday, a clash in Eastern Province's Palathoppur village resulted in the death of two rebels, the official said. He said no soldiers were killed in the battles.
