COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, June 17 (UPI) -- Thirty-one people were killed when rebels launched an attack on Sri Lankan Naval forces in the Indian Ocean.
Military officials say Tamil Tiger rebels sent 11 boats to attack and eight were destroyed, killing 25, the BBC reported Saturday. There were at least six military deaths.
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The military has been shelling rebels since Thursday's bus bombing in Anuradhapura that killed 64 people, the BBC said.
The Tamil Tigers deny involvement in the bus bombing but the incident has brought a cease-fire and the peace process between the government and rebels into question.
The Tamil Tigers want an autonomous homeland for the Tamil ethnic group.
