COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, June 1 (UPI) -- At least 17 people have been killed in Sri Lanka in a fresh wave of clashes between militants and government troops, officials said Sunday.
Defense Ministry officials said at least 12 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam militants were killed this weekend in the northern part of the country, where four Sri Lankan soldiers also lost their lives, the Press Trust of India reported.
In addition to the 16 deaths attributed to the newest military clashes, an unidentified gunman shot and killed a 31-year-old businessman identified as Selliah Selvaraj in Horana.
Meanwhile, police in Colombo have arrested 12 people suspected of being involved in Saturday's grenade attack that killed two civilians, Xinhua reported.
The state-run Chinese news agency said the suspects are all of Tamil descent and police were still searching for a motive for the deadly attack, which left 10 people injured.
