COLOMBO, Oct 25: Tamil Tiger rebels on Thursday said they killed six navy personnel near a Sri Lankan wildlife sanctuary, but officials denied the claim and said there were no injuries.

The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a statement said they opened fire at a bus carrying the sailors in Tissamaharama on Thursday afternoon.

“The LTTE commando squad, a peripheral unit of Ampara regional command, confirms that six Sri Lanka navy personnel were killed and more than 12 others were wounded in the incident,” Tiger spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiriyan said.

However, police said a tyre burst and the bus had sped to the nearest wildlife department office.

“It was an armour-plated vehicle and there were no casualties,” a police official in the area said.—AFP