Sri Lanka says sinks 2 rebel suicide boats in new clash

COLOMBO, Nov 10 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's military said today it had sunk two Tamil Tiger suicide boats off the island's east coast before dawn, just hours after it said it had destroyed 22 rebel vessels in a major clash off the island's northern tip.

''We detected two suicide boats (off Trincomalee in the east) this morning and fired at them. There was a huge explosion and they were completely destroyed,'' a military spokesman said.

The Tigers were not immediately available for comment.

The Navy was still searching for the crew of two navy fast attack boats, one sunk and one damaged, following the battle off the north coast late on Thursday, amid fears of a fresh escalation in the island's two-decade civil war.

REUTERS DH BST0736