Colombo, January 18, SPA -- Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels fatally shot ten ethnic Sinhalese civilians in southern Sri Lanka, the Associated Press quoted the Defense Ministry as saying. Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara blamed Tamil Tiger rebels for the massacre Thursday night in the village of Thanamalwila, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southeast of Colombo. Nanayakkara said a group of rebels opened fire at civilians in Thanamalwila around 10:00 p.m. Thursday, killing three and wounding another three. Insurgents then fled into nearby bushes, he said. Police and army troops were sent to the village where they found seven more bullet-riddled bodies Friday morning and launched a search for the rebels, Nanayakkara said.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/518691