Attack carried out by Karuna faction

An army spokesman said fighters from a breakaway group attacked the Tiger fighters in the eastern district of Kanjikudichchiaru early on Thursday.

The Tigers say the report is untrue. Eastern Sri Lanka has been tense since a split in rebel ranks last year.

US Assistant Secretary of State Christina Rocca has just visited the region and appealed for peace.

'No fatalities'

Army spokesman Brigadier Daya Ratanayake said the Tiger fighters had been killed by breakaway rebels loyal to Col Karuna, the former deputy leader of the organisation.

He said seven people were injured in the incident.

The pro-Tamil Tiger website, Tamilnet, quoted a Tamil Tiger commander as saying that the rebels had suffered no fatalities.

In a separate incident, a Tamil civilian was shot dead near the eastern town of Batticaloa.

News of the latest violence came as Christina Rocca and Norwegian peace envoy Erik Solheim left Sri Lanka after making their latest efforts to bring peace to the island.

Factional fighting

Since Col Karuna split from the northern-based leadership of the Tamil Tigers in March, 2004, there have been frequent inter-rebel clashes.

The Tamil Tigers accuse the government of backing the Karuna faction - a charge the authorities deny.

Continuing violence in Sri Lanka's east comes amid deadlock in negotiations between the Tamil Tigers and the government.

Peace talks between the two sides have been suspended since April 2003.

More than 60,000 people have died since the rebels began their fight for a homeland for minority Tamils in 1983.