The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Colombo

Twenty-one Tamil rebels and four government troops were killed in fresh fighting in Sri Lanka's embattled north as the nation readied to host a summit of regional leaders, officials said Wednesday.

The palm-fringed island will be the venue for the two-day summit of leaders of the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which opens Saturday. Defence ministry officials said 21 separatist Tamil Tiger guerrillas were killed in clashes Tuesday in the northern Wanni region 250 kilometres (160 miles) north of the capital. Four soldiers also died, officials said, adding that fighting raged in the north where troops were advancing into territory held by the guerrillas.

The government last month rejected a rebel offer for a brief unilateral ceasefire for the summit and has kept up military raids on insurgent positions in the decades-old conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. The report of new deaths came as officials of the eight-nation South Asian grouping were in the second day of talks to lay the ground for the summit that will focus on trade and terrorism.