Rebel attack kills 13 Sri Lankan soldiers
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-12-24 08:57

At least 13 Sri Lankan Navy soldiers were killed and three others injured in an attack triggered by suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels, defense officials said Friday.

The attack took place near Thalaimannar, about 200 km north of the capital Colombo at around 2:00 p.m. local time (0800 GMT).

A bus and a truck carrying sailors were moving along the Pesalai-Talaimannar Road when it was attacked, said Naval spokesman Jayantha Perera.

The truck had escaped the blast while the bus which was carrying about 20 sailors got caught in the powerful explosion.

Perera said the rebels had triggered a claymore mine and fired rocket propelled grenades, setting the bus on fire.

Officials said Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse had summoned the National Defense Council for urgent talks after the attack.

Government sources said the president is urging all forces commanders to maintain law and order in troubled-hit areas and to be more vigilant about the LTTE's moves.

The attack came a day after the Sri Lankan government urged the international community to exert pressure on the Tigers for their truce violations.

Also Friday, a Sri Lankan army intelligence agent was shot dead by suspected Tamil rebels in the central Sri Lankan town of NuwaraEliya, about 180 km east of Colombo.

On Thursday, about 10 LTTE boats attacked two navy vessels in the north, sinking one and capturing three sailors.

Early this month some 15 soldiers were killed in the northern city of Jaffna in two separate claymore mine attacks, raising fears of returning to war after a three-year-long cease-fire.