Sri Lanka says 52 rebels, 11 soldiers killed in clash

COLOMBO, Nov 7 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's military said 52 Tamil Tigers and 11 soldiers were killed in fresh fighting in the far north of the island today, but the rebels disputed the figures.

The Tigers said 20 soldiers were killed and more than 100 were wounded in the clash on the Jaffna peninsula, and that just one of their fighters was killed. There are no independent accounts of what had happened or how many people were killed.

The military said fierce fighting erupted along a heavily defended border that separates government and rebel-held territory on the peninsula, which the Tigers accused troops of trying to breach.

REUTERS PD HS1945eut 14:06 11-07-07