COLOMBO, Oct 23, Reuter: At least nine Indian Soldiers were killed in two attacks by Tamil Guerillas in Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern areas on Sunday, Indian Officials said.
A spokeswoman for the Indian High Commission (Embassy) said seven soldiers were killed when their vehicle was blasted by a landmine at Omanthai in Northern Vayuniya district.
Residents said there were unconfirmed reports that 11 soldiers died in the blast.
At Batticaloa in the east, two soldiers and a former Tamil rebel were killed in an ambush by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam guerrillas, the spokeswoman said.
One resident said the death toll was likely to rise because the injured were in critical condition. Indian officials in Colombo were unable to confirm the attack.
Police said two soldiers and a former Tamil rebel were killed when they were ambushed by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Guerrillas at Eastern Batticaloa district.
Indian troops have been deployed in the North and East to implement an accord to end a Tamil Separatist campaign. The tigers are opposed to the pact.
One Tamil was killed and six injured in clashes between Tamils and majority Sinhalese at Manampitiya in North-Central Polonnaruwa district on Sunday, police said.
An official said a dispute over fishing in the area sparked the fight.
Meanwhile a policeman was shot dead by suspected Marxist rebels at Ratnapura, outside Colombo on Sunday.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 28, 1988
