Thirteen people, including eight civilians caught in a mortar barrage, were killed in fierce fighting between the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels, the military and rebels said Friday. In eastern Sri Lanka, where the army has stepped up its assault on rebel bases, mortar shells slammed into a village on the frontline of fighting late Thursday killing eight civilians, including at least 2 children. Separately, a roadside bomb placed by the rebels blew up a military vehicle on Friday, killing five Sri Lankan soldiers and wounding one, near Vavuniya the last government-held garrison town before rebel territory in the north, said military spokesman Brig Prasad Samarasinghe.
Both sides blamed each other for the shelling late Thursday, which came as the army stepped up its efforts to oust the rebels from bases they control in eastern Sri Lanka. The military has reportedly killing up to 140 insurgents in recent assaults. Fighting in the last two days has cantered on the rebels' Thoppigala base, one of their last redoubts in the area, which has proved difficult for the government to conquer due to a huge rock formation that provides perfect cover for rebel fighters during combat.