14 more rebels killed in Lankan fighting

At least 14 Tamil Tiger rebels have been killed in fresh ground battles across Sri lanka's embattled north, the island's defence ministry said yesterday.
Troops killed the 14 members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the districts of Kilinochchi and Vavuniya on Wednesday, the ministry said, adding that 11 government security personnel were wounded in the fighting.
The latest ground battles came as the military stepped up aerial attacks against suspected Tiger positions in the vast rebel-held Wanni region. There were no reports of casualties from air strikes.
The Sri Lankan military has vowed to dismantle the LTTE's mini-state by capturing Kilinochchi, their political capital.
The United Nations has expressed alarm over escalating fighting in the north, and has said both sides were obliged to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of displaced civilians.