Colombo, Sri Lanka ? Heavy clashes broke out between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in Sri Lanka’s volatile north and east, killing a large number of insurgents and wounding at least six soldiers, the military said Friday.

The fighting, which each side denied initiating, came a day after the government said it was ready to resume stalled peace talks with the Tamil rebels later this month.

Separately, 49 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed Friday in a raid by a breakaway faction of rebels in eastern Sri Lanka, a spokesman for the breakaway group known as the K-faction said.