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Colombo: Sri Lankan troops killed 72 Tamil Tiger rebels and eight soldiers also died over the weekend in fighting in the far north of the island, the military said on Sunday, while rebels claimed 31 soldiers and a policeman killed against three of their own dead.
Military Spokesman Brigadier Udaya said, "There had been a confrontation in Mannar on Saturday where our soldiers went ahead and attacked terrorists. Troops killed 60 LTTE (Tamil Tiger) terrorists and injured 51."
He said seven soldiers were killed and 27 others wounded in that fighting, while clashes elsewhere on Saturday killed 12 Tamil Tiger rebels and one government solder.
The fighting came a week after a suspected rebel suicide bomber killed the country's highways minister and 13 others attending a marathon race near the capital.
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