15 LTTE cadres killed in rival clashes

COLOMBO: At least 15 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed when a rival faction launched an attack against their defence lines in Sri Lanka's north-eastern district of Trincomalee on Thursday, military sources said.

The breakaway faction led by Karuna attacked three bunkers of the Tamil Tiger rebels this morning killing at least 15 Tiger cadres, they said.

It was not immediately clear if there were casualties on Karuna's side. The attack came a day after eight people were killed in a mine attack in the neighbouring district of Batticaloa. The Tigers said the army had carried out that mine attack, a charge denied by the military.

In the island's north-western Mannar district, an army officer was killed and two others wounded today in a mine attack blamed on the Tigers.

The upsurge in violence came as the Tigers and Colombo were due to meet in Oslo later today to discuss the safety of Scandinavian truce monitors.