Clashes continue in east, north Sri Lanka

One personnel of the Sri Lankan security forces was killed and three were injured on Saturday as clashes between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels continued in the island country's north and east, defense officials said.

One personnel of the police's elite Special Task Force was killed and another was injured when their vehicle was blasted by a claymore mine detonated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE) around 4:10 p.m. (1040 GMT) in the eastern Batticaloa district.

In the northern Vavuniya district, two Army soldiers were injured when their vehicle hit a land mine at around 1:15 p.m. ( 0745 GMT), officials said.

Meanwhile, the Air Force launched an air strike at 12:30 p.m. ( 0700 GMT) at a sea tiger base in the northern Mullaitivu district.

Government troops and the LTTE are currently being locked in fierce battles in the north and east.

More than 4,000 people have been killed since December 2005 despite a Norwegian-arranged truce in place.

The LTTE has been fighting for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's 12.5 percent Tamil minority since the 1970s.

Source: Xinhua