Colombo says fresh battles kill 15 rebels, one soldier

Colombo: Scattered battles between government troops and Tamil Tiger separatists across Sri Lanka's embattled north killed 15 rebels and one soldier, the military said Saturday.

Reports of fighting have increased in recent months amid government promises to capture the rebels' de facto state in the north and crush the group by the end of the year.

But diplomats and other observers say the army is facing more resistance than it had expected.

A defence ministry official said the latest round of battles took place on Friday near the front lines that separate government-controlled territory and rebel territory in the north. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media. In the worst battle, army troops killed eight guerrillas in the northern Vavuniya district.