Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels today handed over the bodies of 74 soldiers killed in a battle a day earlier to the Red Cross, taking the army's death toll in one of the worst clashes since a 2002 truce to at least 129.
Nearly 300 soldiers were wounded in the fighting on Wednesday around the besieged government-held enclave of Jaffna in the far north. The violence is spurring fears that peace talks scheduled for the end of the month may be cancelled.
Today, a suspected rebel roadside bomb attack in Jaffna killed five people. Artillery duels continued to rage in the area. Residents heard fighter jets fly towards Tiger territory and explosions in the distance.
"We have handed over the dead. We have also recovered a large amount of weapons, including 98 semiautomatic rifles and a light anti-tank weapon," said Tiger military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan.
"This is very good. As usual, we will take these weapons and use them against the military to fight for the freedom of our homeland."
The military had already recovered the bodies of 55 troops killed during Wednesday's battle. A huge total of 283 soldiers were wounded. It accused the Tigers of capturing soldiers and murdering them in cold blood.