22 Tigers killed in Lanka's fresh clashes: Army

Colombo, Oct 6 (UNI) Sri Lankan army today claimed it has thwarted a pre-dawn attack by the Tamil Tiger rebels on an army camp in the restive eastern Batticaloa district and killed at least 22 rebels.

"The Tigers initiated these offensive attacks at troops at Mankerni area early today causing damages to the Security Forces' defenses and injuring two soldiers. The civil sources in the area and the intelligence said there are over twenty-two dead bodies lying in the area," the military said here today.

According to the military sources, the heavy retaliation by the security forces was followed by the LTTE attempt to pound mortars and artillery from areas of Panichankerni and Vakarai areas "with ground based attacks at troops at Mankerny".

There was no immediate reaction from the LTTE in this regard.

UNI XC AKJ BST1407