BUJUMBURA, April 28 (Reuters) - Burundi troops killed 11
rebels in clashes on Monday with the country's last active
guerrilla group, the army said, bringing the death toll from
renewed fighting to 44 in less than two weeks.
 

Clashes have continued despite a 2006 peace deal and
President Pierre Nkurunziza called last week for regional and
international action against the rebels.
 

The latest fighting took place in Isale, a stronghold of the
rebel Forces for National Liberation (FNL) 10 km (6 miles) from
the capital Bujumbura.
 

"FNL fighters ambushed government troops who were patrolling
the area. The army then launched an offensive operation to chase
the insurgents," said army spokesman Colonel Adolphe Manirakiza.
 

FNL leaders were not immediately available for comment but
they have blamed the government for the latest violence.
 

The persistent insurgency is seen by many as the final
barrier to lasting stability in Burundi, a coffee growing nation
of 8 million which is emerging from more than a decade of ethnic
war that killed 300,000 people.
 

FNL fighters have mounted sporadic attacks since talks to
implement the 2006 accord were suspended last July when they
quit a truce monitoring team, accusing mediators of bias.