Tamil Tiger Factions Clash in Heavy Fighting
Heavy firing erupted between two Tamil Tiger rebel factions in eastern Sri Lanka, killing at least eight guerrillas and wounding five, the rebels and military said. Fighters from the main Tamil Tiger group based in the north were reported to be fighting members of a breakaway eastern faction at the Verugal River.
It was the first major fighting since a 2002 cease-fire halted battles between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who want a separate nation.
Government security forces were placed on red alert, military sources said.
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