5 soldiers killed in new clashes in eastern Ukraine

At least five government soldiers were killed and four others were wounded in eastern Ukraine in the past 24 hours amid rising confrontation with independence-seeking insurgents, officials said Sunday.

Insurgents have intensified their shelling of government positions in the past day, carrying out 30 attacks with small arms, grenade launchers and mortars. said Olexandr Motuzyanyk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military.

Government troops have "more than once" fired in response, he said, adding that the situation was particularly tense near the Butovka coal mine, located near the insurgent stronghold of Donetsk, and in the government-controlled town of Avdeevka.

There were no confirmed rebel or civilian casualties in the conflict over the past day.

The violence in eastern Ukraine has intensified since last week following the end of the so-called "Easter truce" that started on May 1, when the country celebrated Orthodox Easter.

On Tuesday, seven government soldiers were killed and nine others were injured in fresh conflicts, which marked the worst daily losses of the Ukrainian army over the past year.

More than 9,300 people have been killed and almost 22,000 others have been wounded in fighting in eastern Ukraine that started in April 2014.

Source: XINHUA