By DPA
Colombo : Security forces beat back a rebel attack on a coastal police guard post in northwestern Sri Lanka Friday and pursued the militants in boats, killing at least 17 of them, a military spokesman said.
Rebels arrived in at least seven boats to attack the Pesalai police post, 320 km north of the capital, and the troops responded with artillery fire, forcing the rebels to withdraw, the spokesman said.
Military officials claimed that rebel communications intercepted later revealed that 17 of their cadres had been killed.
In the same district, rebels set off a claymore mine and killed one soldier Friday.
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