Sri Lanka says 11 rebel boats sunk

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's navy sank 11 Tamil Tiger vessels and killed dozens of rebels in a fierce five-hour battle overnight, the military has said, a fortnight after the foes agreed to resume peace talks to halt renewed civil war.

"There were 25 Sea Tiger boats sailing south. Eleven boats were sunk, and about 70 cadres were killed," said Chief Inspector of Police Percy Perera of the Center for National Security. He said five navy sailors were hurt in the clash.

Perera said the Navy believed a top Tiger naval commander was killed or injured during the clash at sea around 50 miles north of the strategic northeastern harbour of Trincomalee.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were not immediately available for comment on the incident, which comes days after a suspected rebel front threatened to recapture recently lost territory on the southern lip of Trincomalee harbour.

The Tigers and the government have both told peace broker Norway they are prepared to meet for talks after a five-month deadlock to end a new chapter of civil war that has killed hundreds of civilians, troops and rebels since late July.

However analysts and diplomats are sceptical the talks will actually happen.

They fear the fighting will grind on unless the two sides address the core issues of human rights abuses by both sides and the rebels' central demand for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east.

- REUTERS