Heavy fighting kills 43 in Sri Lanka

Government troops Wednesday captured a strip of land from Tamil Tigers after heavy fighting across the island's north left 42 rebels and a soldier dead, the defence ministry said. Security forces killed the guerrillas from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in separate clashes in the Mannar, Weli Oya and Jaffna district since Tuesday evening, the ministry said.
It said the air force carried out attacks against suspected Tamil Tiger targets on Tuesday, but did not give details of casualties or damage. However, it said troops wrested control over an area known as Kallaiadanchan in the coastal Mannar district early Wednesday.