Sri Lanka’s military sank four Tamil Tiger rebel boats off the island’s northern coast after a battle that killed eight rebels and one soldier. The rebel boats were sunk when troops fired artillery at them as they attempted to attack army and naval positions in Sirutheevu off northern Jaffna. The Tamil Tiger rebel group dismissed the government’s claim and said their group killed at least 13 sailors in the predawn attack. A Tamil journalist and his friend were hacked to death in the heavily-guarded northern Jaffna peninsula by unknown men.
