Colombo, January 28: At least 14 Tamil Tiger rebels and one soldier were killed in clashes between the government troops and the rebels in the northern Mannar district, Sri Lankan military said.
According to the officials from the Media Centre for National Security, seven Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels were killed in an attack launched by the troops at Pallikuli around 1 a.m. local time.

One soldier was killed and two others were injured in the battle. Seven other rebels were killed by the troops in two clashes at Aadampan.

Fighting has often erupted between the government troops and the rebels in the northern regions after the government announced its withdrawal from the Norwegian-backed ceasefire on Jan 16.
More than 600 people have been killed since the ceasefire officially ended, according to the military.

The six-year-old ceasefire was part of the internationally backed peace process during which nine rounds of talks were held between September 2002 and October 2006.