Report: 36 dead in Sri Lanka violence

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, June 24 (UPI) -- The Sri Lankan military said at least 31 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed while the government lost five soldiers in clashes in the northern region.

Several rebel bunkers were destroyed in the operations in the Mannar, Vavuniya Welioya and Jaffna regions, the military's Media Center for National Security said, LankaPage reported.

About 70 rebels and 24 soldiers were also injured in the various clashes, the report said.

The pro-rebel TamilNet Web site, however, claimed the Tigers resisted a three-pronged attempt by the Sri Lankan Army to enter their Vavuniya territory, killing 18 soldiers and injuring 31 more. The report gave no account of rebel casualties.

There was no independent verification of the figures, as journalists are not allowed in the conflict region.

Separately, Sri Lankan authorities said a bomb attack Monday, blamed on Tiger rebels, killed three policemen and injured another near the Aiyththamalai police post in the eastern region of Batticaloa.

The report said the victims had gone to bathe in a nearby lake when they were attacked.