AVDIIVKA: A surge in clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels despite a supposed truce left at six people dead on Monday in Ukraine’s war-scarred east. The overall death toll for the past two days rose to 11 after the bloodiest outburst of violence since Ukraine and its foes agreed an “indefinite” ceasefire in December. “Since Sunday, there have been continuing clashes and heavy attacks on our positions,” Ukraine’s 72nd army brigade officer told AFP.The military in Kiev said two of its soldiers had died overnight. An AFP reporter in the town of Avdiivka near the de facto insurgent capital of Donetsk saw Ukrainian soldiers capture three rebels. Two of them later died of their wounds. Electricity has been off since Sunday and water supplies are sporadic amid the shelling and gunfire. The rebels also reported two civilians were killed by Ukrainian fire around Donetsk.On Sunday four government soldiers and one rebel were reported killed around Avdiivka which is controlled by Ukrainian forces and comes under repeated attack from their Russia-backed foes in the nearly three-year conflict. The 11 deaths put at risk yet another effort by exasperated mediators to end one of Europe’s bloodiest conflicts since the 1990s Balkans wars. Ukraine’s industrial eastern region comprises coal mines and steel mills whose possession is coveted by both sides fighting a war since April 2014.