Sri Lanka press rebels for release of soldier after heavy battle
Sri Lanka pressed for the release of a soldier captured by Tamil Tiger rebels following a heavy mortar duel at the weekend that killed at least 16 combatants, officials said. The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) returned the bodies of 12 soldiers killed by them Friday at the village of Vakaneri in eastern Sri Lanka, but were holding onto a 24-year-old soldier, a defence ministry official said. Full Story