Sri Lanka: 50 civilians killed in fighting

Sri Lanka: 50 civilians killed in fighting

The Defense Ministry in Colombo said that is military operation had inflicted "huge" losses on the rebels, but a military spokesman said the troops were not targeting civilians and that he was not aware of any civilian casualties.

The fighting centered around a key reservoir and canal in Trincomalee district, which in recent weeks has seen some of the worst fighting since the country's 2002 cease-fire, with estimates of the number of combatants and civilians killed ranging from about 100 to 300, the AP reports.

A senior rebel official, Seevarathnam Puleedevan, said he had no information on rebel casualties. He said 50 civilians had been killed and 200 wounded by the government artillery and air assault.