68 killed in fresh Lankan fighting

At least 68 people, including two civilians, were killed over the weekend amid clashes between security forces and Tamil Tiger rebels, the defence ministry said yesterday.
Four government troops were killed in a mortar attack carried out by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerrillas in the rebel-held Wanni region on Saturday, the ministry said.
It said troops also recovered the bodies of 10 rebels killed by troops and estimated the total number of guerrillas killed over the weekend's fighting to be 62.
Separately, gunmen shot dead two men in Jaffna on Sunday, the ministry said, blaming the attacks on the LTTE.
The LTTE, who have been fighting for a separate state since 1972, did not comment on the ministry statements.
Sunday's fighting raised the number of rebels killed by troops since January to 6,249, according to government figures. The military admits losing 585 of its soldiers during the same period.
The LTTE is seeking a homeland for minority Tamils from the majority Sinhalese community in the island's north and east. Tens of thousands have died on both sides in more than three decades of bloodshed.
Fighting is now concentrated around the north as security forces move into rebel-held territory to dismantle the LTTE's northern stronghold. They ejected the guerrillas from the east of the island in July 2007.