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Sri Lanka rebels attack police station, kill 20
May 12, 1997
Web posted at: 4:52 p.m. EDT (2052 GMT)COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Separatist rebels stormed a police station in northeastern Sri Lanka and killed at least 20 people, including the wife and child of an officer, authorities said Monday.
The defense ministry said 15 policemen and five civilians died in the attack launched shortly before midnight Sunday. The station is 130 miles northeast of Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital.
Policemen and army reinforcements drove the Tamil rebels off and regained control over the police station, officials said.
Twenty-five police and civilians were wounded, officials said. Rebel casualties were not immediately known.
The Tamil rebels are fighting for a homeland for minority Tamils, who account for 18 percent of Sri Lanka's 18 million people.
They claim discrimination by the Sinhalese, who control the government and military. The 13-year-old war has killed more than 48,000 people.
Newspapers reported that the latest rebel attack came as the military prepared for what could be a major offensive against the rebels to recapture a vital, 55-mile stretch of road linking the northern towns of Vavuniya and Kilinochchi.
The rebels have lost control of certain key areas in the northern province over the past two years, but have established themselves in Sri Lanka's eastern province.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Report: 1 million children hurt by Sri Lankan conflict - November 12, 1996
- Sri Lanka pays high price for endless war - August 28, 1996
- Sri Lanka: Civil war in paradise - October 30, 1995
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