 Sri Lankan troops clashed with separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, leaving two of the guerrillas dead in the countryÂ’s volatile north, the military said Sunday. The Tigers attacked army troops on a foot patrol Saturday in Welioya, about 255 kilometers northeast of the capital, Colombo, said senior Defence Ministry official Lt Col Upali Rajapakse. The soldiers retaliated and two insurgents were killed in the fight, Rajapakse said. There was no immediate comment from the rebels. The tigers have fought government troops since 1983 in an attempt to create an independent homeland for minority ethic Tamils after decades of discrimination by the majority Sinhalese. |