'Three dead' in Sri Lanka blast

Version 0 of 1.

At least three people, including a policeman, have died and 16 have been wounded in a mine blast in eastern Sri Lanka, police say.

Tamil Tiger rebels targeted a police patrol near Batticaloa, 300km (187 miles) east of Colombo, officials said. Two civilians also died.

At least 64,000 people have died since the rebels began their fight for independence more than 20 years ago.

An escalation in the fighting since December 2005 has left 4,000 dead.