By DPA
Colombo : Three soldiers and four suspected Tamil rebels were killed in two separate incidents in northern Sri Lanka, military officials said Tuesday.
The killings came as the government stepped up security ahead of a rebel commemorative programme to mark their first suicide attack 20 years back, the military officials said.
Rebels killed three soldiers when they set off a claymore mine targeting a group of soldiers heading for a bath in Vavuniya, 250 km north of Colombo Tuesday, they said.
Earlier Tuesday, four suspected Tamil rebels were shot dead by security forces in Muhamalai, 370 km north of the capital, as they were making an attempt to infiltrate the army forward defence line, military officials said.
Military officials have stepped up security after a truck bomb believed to have been meant to be smuggled into the capital was detected in the northeastern Trincomalee district three days back.
Rebels started commemorating their first suicide cadre killed in an attack on an army camp where 40 soldiers killed in Nelliady, Jaffna, 390 km north of the capital. Rebels are known to carry out attacks to mark such events.