Guerrilla Land Mines Kill 9 in Sri Lanka

Tamil guerrillas killed nine security men in two land mine explosions Thursday, the latest rebel attacks during a Muslim holy week, the Sri Lankan government said. It said the security men--five in one vehicle and four in another--died in the eastern district of Trincomalee.

The attacks occurred as thousands of Buddhists marked Wesak, a festival commemorating the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha. More than 70% of Sri Lanka’s 16 million people are Buddhists.