The Sri Lankan military said on Saturday its troops had killed 38 Tamil Tiger rebels and one of its soldiers had died in fresh fighting in the north. A six-year truce between the state and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) formally ended on Wednesday.
Opening the way for a military push for the Tigers' northern stronghold and a bloody escalation in a 25-year civil war, analysts say. "In Welioya troops confronted with a group of terrorists and killed two today (Saturday). Confrontations on Friday killed 36 LTTE terrorists in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Welioya and Mannar and destroyed four LTTE bunkers," said military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara.