July 12, Colombo: Fresh fighting between the Sri Lankan troops and LTTE rebels in the embattled northern region killed 18 Tigers and destroyed several bunkers, the military said today.

Troops confronted the Tamil Tiger rebels at several locations in the Welioya area on Friday killing 7 Tigers and injuring another 18, the Media Center for National Security (MCNS) said adding that 7 soldiers were also injured in the skirmishes.

Troops advancing ahead of battlefronts in Vavuniya killed six Tigers and another 13 Tigers received injuries. Nine soldiers were injured in several mine explosions in the area, MCNS reported. Four LTTE rebels were killed and two soldiers were wounded during a confrontation on at Vellaimaratahamadhu in Mannar while another Tiger rebel was killed in Muhamalai, Jaffna.

Casualty figures cannot be independently verified as media has no access to the conflict zone. However, the government says nearly 4,900 rebels have been killed this year since the government stepped up its military campaign in January.