Lankan Buddhist celebration marred by killings of 15
Two Tamil civilians and 13 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in northern Sri Lanka as the country marked the holiest Buddhist anniversary, military officials said yesterday.
Unidentified gunmen short dead the two civilians on Tuesday night, the start of the Wesak festival marking the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha more than 2,500 years ago, officials said.
Their bullet-riddled bodies were found on Wednesday in Vavuniya, a town in the north and close to the frontline with Tamil Tiger rebel-controlled territory.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The defence ministry said 10 Tiger rebels were killed in skirmishes with security forces in Mannar while another three were killed in Weli Oua on Tuesday. The ministry did not say if troops suffered any casualties.