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Sri Lanka

32 killed in fighting, Australia considers outlawing Tamil Tigers

Article published on the 2008-10-13 Latest update 2008-10-13 09:30 TU

Stephen Smith (l), Rohitha Bogollagama (r)(Photos: United Nations/Evan Schneider/Ryan Brown; Layout: RFI)

Stephen Smith (l), Rohitha Bogollagama (r)
(Photos: United Nations/Evan Schneider/Ryan Brown; Layout: RFI)

Twenty-seven Tamil Tiger fighters and five Sri Lankan soldiers were killed in clashes in the north of Sri Lanka. The Defence Ministry said on Monday that the fighting occured on near Kilinochchi, which is the centre of Tamil Tiger operations.

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The Sri Lankan army has been approaching this town since late September, as it is where the Tamil Tiger leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is believed to be based.

There was no confirmation of the death toll from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Also on Monday, Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said the country may declare the LTTE a terrorist group. His comments came after a visit from Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama who had asked Australia to make the declaration.

Smith said he had raised Australian concerns with Bogollagama over the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka, and said that Australia believed that the conflict in Sri Lanka could not "be resolved through military means alone".