Listen to BBC's Susannah Price report from Colombo

The 18-year-old girl was raped and killed at a military checkpoint in the northern Jaffna peninsula - which government troops recaptured from Tamil separatist rebels in 1995.

Hidden graves

The defendants told the court that they were innocent and accused their senior officers of being responsible.

One of the soldiers, Corporal Dewage Somaratne, asked by the judges why he should not be given the death penalty, said they did not kill anyone.

"We only buried bodies. We can show you where 300 to 400 bodies have been buried," he said.

Correspondents say that the judges are likely to refer the statements on hidden graves for further investigation by the authorities.

'Like wild animals'

Judge Gamini Abeyratne, one of the three-member jury, said: "The accused all held responsible posts in the police and armed forces. Yet, they fell upon this innocent girl like wild animals and raped and murdered her."

The chief prosecutor said the evidence was very strong and justice had been done.

International interest

The BBC correspondent in Colombo says there has been widespread concern about hundreds of people who disappeared following the fall of Jaffna, but hardly any cases have been brought to court.

The case attracted international attention and human rights groups welcomed the landmark judgement as an important first step.