By DPA
Colombo : Three police officers were shot dead Monday evening by Tamil rebels in south-eastern Sri Lanka, days after the rebels killed at least 44 people in separate incidents.
The policemen were shot dead while on night-time checkpoint duty at Kithulkotte in the Thanamalwila area, 260 km southeast of the capital, officials said.
Tamil rebels last Wednesday set off a claymore mine killing 27 bus passengers and hours later killed six farmers. On the following day 11 more farmers were killed in the area.
The attacks have prompted the government to focus on security in the south-eastern region, which had been free of rebels. The attacks also come as the government steps up military operations in the north after vowing to crush rebels there within the year.