Bomb in Van Kills 8, Injures 20 in Sri Lanka

A bomb concealed in a van exploded in a Muslim neighborhood in eastern Sri Lanka, killing eight people and wounding 20, the military said Monday.

Military officials also reported that 12 soldiers were killed and 30 wounded Monday by Tamil rebels in northeastern Sri Lanka, raising the death toll to 27 in two days of clashes between soldiers and rebels.

Officials attributed the bombing to the Tigers, a Tamil militia fighting for an independent homeland in the north and the east.