COLOMBO, July 17, 2007 (AFP) - Four Sri Lankan soldiers were killed and six others wounded in fighting with Tamil Tiger rebels in the north of the island, the guerrillas said Tuesday, claiming they lost one fighter in the battle.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they found the corpse of one soldier following the clash in Vavuniya district on Monday, and would make arrangements to hand over the body through the Red Cross on Tuesday.

There was no immediate comment from the military. The clash came five days after security forces captured a key Tamil rebel base in eastern Sri Lanka.

The LTTE have been fighting for a separate state for minority Tamils for 35 years -- a conflict that has claimed over 60,000 lives.

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