Seven killed in Ukraine clashes

Intense fighting between government troops and independence-seeking insurgents in eastern Ukraine left seven people dead in the past 24 hours, authorities said Tuesday.

Andrei Lysenko, spokesperson for the National Security and Defence Council, said one Ukrainian soldier was killed and five were wounded in the clashes with rebels, Xinhua reported.

The civilian deaths occurred in the areas of Donetsk region engulfed by fighting, with government troops and insurgents accusing each other of using heavy artillery in residential districts.

Among the victims, three people were killed Monday evening in the rebel stronghold of Donetsk and another civilian died in the neighbouring Gorlovka town, said the press service of the government's military operation in the east.

Separately, two more civilians were killed when shells hit a public transport bus in Donetsk city Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The conflict, which rages since mid-April, reintensified Nov 4 after Ukrainian authorities decided to repeal the law which grants "special status" to rebel-held areas.

Overall, the seven-month-long armed confrontation has claimed over 4,300 lives and injured more than 9,900 people.