Tigers allege shelling, Lankan army denies charge

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels said they were being shelled on Tuesday morning by government forces near the northeastern port of Trincomalee, but the army denied taking any  action.

Local police said it might instead be a clash between the Tigers and breakaway faction the Karuna group, which the rebels say is government backed. But the rebels clearly blamed the army.

 ''It is from the Sri Lankan military,'' Trincomalee political leader S Elilan told Reuters. ''It went on for half an hour then it stopped. Now it has started again.''