A wave of new fighting between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels across the Sri Lanka's war-ravaged northern region killed 35 guerrillas and one soldier, AP quoted the military as saying Thursday. Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said the latest battles took place Wednesday in the Vavuniya, Mannar, Welioya and Jaffna areas bordering the rebels' de facto state in the north. In the worst battle, soldiers killed 20 insurgents and five soldiers were wounded in Vavuniya, he said. Clashes in the nearby Mannar district killed 11 rebels and wounded one soldier, Nanayakkara said. Other battles in Jaffna and Welioya killed four rebels and one soldier, he said.
