17 killed in fresh Lanka fighting

By T.V. Sriram

Colombo, April 16: At least 13 Tamil Tigers and four soldiers were killed in clashes in Sri Lanka’s embattled north as helicopter gunships carried out air attacks on the rebel positions, officials said on Wednesday.

"Sri Lanka Air Force MI 24 helicopter gun ships carried out air sorties targeting an LTTE bunker line and mortar gun position ahead of Muhamalai security forces forward defence line (FDL) on Wednesday morning," Air force spokesperson Wing Commander Andrew Wijesooriya said.

Wg. Cmdr. Wijesooriya said the air raid was launched early on Wednesday to assist the ground troops engaged in counter terrorists offensives in the area.

Meanwhile, Air Force fighter jets bombed three identified Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) camps located in Oddusudan area in the rebel stronghold of Mulaithivu last night, Wg. Cmdr. Wijesooriya said.

In ground clashes two LTTE cadres were gunned down at Muhamalai in Jaffna on Tuesday.

In another confrontation at least three tiger rebels were killed in clashes in Navatkulam Narikkulam and East of Madhu in Vavuniya on Tuesday, the Army said.

One rebel was gunned down by snipers deployed in Sulainamaruthamadhu area in Vavuniya, the ministry said.

In a separate incident, two soldiers were killed due to explosions triggered by improvised explosive device and anti personnel mines in the Vavuniya front on Tuesday, the Army said. (PTI)

***

18 killed in Bangla bus-train collision

Dhaka, April 16: At least 18 people were killed and 30 others injured when a train rammed into a packed bus at a railway crossing in central Bangladesh in the wee hours on Wednesday, officials said.

Officials said the Dhaka-bound Ekota Express coming from Dinajpur hit the bus at Balla in Kalihati Tangail at about 3 am, killing 16 people on the spot and injuring 30 others.

The injured were admitted to Tangail General Hospital where two of them succumbed to injuries while five others with critical injuries were sent to Dhaka for better treatment, a police official said.

The police, quoting survivors said, all the 50 passengers of the bus were local weavers who were on their way to join a weekly rural "haat" (weekly marketplace) from Balla to Korotia. Witnesses said the railway crossing was kept open when the intercity train coming from northwestern Dinajpur to Dhaka rammed into the bus and turned it into wreckage.

"Senior railway officials rushed to the scene immediately after the accident while an investigation has already been ordered," Bangladesh Railway spokesperson Shafiqul Islam said. (PTI)