16 LTTE rebels among 20 killed as fresh fighting erupts in Lanka

COLOMBO, JANUARY 13: Intense fighting between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels left at least 20 people killed, the defe...

COLOMBO, JANUARY 13: Intense fighting between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels left at least 20 people killed, the defence ministry here said today.

Security forces killed 16 members of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the northern Jaffna peninsula where both sides exchanged artillery fire yesterday, the ministry said.

It said three security personnel were also killed in the clashes.

A civilian was killed in a rebel mine attack in the east of the country, officials said.

Tamil Tigers were trying to breach military defences in the Jaffna peninsula with heavy mortar bomb attacks, artillery and rocket propelled grenades, the ministry said.

There was no immediate word from the LTTE about the latest fighting.

Security forces in December 1995 captured Jaffna, where the LTTE ran a de facto separate state for nearly five years. However, the LTTE has vowed to take back Jaffna which was considered the heartland of Tamil separatism.

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Two months ago, the LTTE overran 10key military bases in the northern mainland in just five days8217; fighting.

meanwhile, Sri Lankan police were probing if a private bank owned by a Tamil businessman siphoned off millions of rupees to LTTE for the suicide bombing on President Chandrika Kumaratunga as part of a wider conspiracy to stage a military coup, the state media said today.

The government-run Daily News, which has been carrying the probe stories for the last few days, said a Rs 50 million loan was given to the wife of a director of an unnamed bank and that quot;CID sleuths are trying to ascertain whether the money was actually used by the company or diverted to a terrorist organisation.quot;

quot;The CID is investigating whether the Tigers had received millions of rupees from banks owned by some billionaire businessman and whether such funds had been utilised for the unsuccessful attempt to assassinate her Kumaratunga on December 18, 1999.

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quot;There is evidence that the banks regulations have been violated in obtaining this loan.Investigators say the paper work does not indicate the purpose of obtaining the loan,quot; it said, adding the transaction was questioned by the other directors of the bank.

Though the state media here has been carrying sensational stories for the past few days highlighting attempts to stage a military coup, no arrests have been made so far.