Sri Lankan army helicopters on Wednesday pounded a key LTTE base in the island's north killing five rebels as fierce ground clashes in the restive region left 21 people dead, officials said.
In the aerial raid on the LTTE base in Kurakkandal area of Mannar by army helicopters, five rebels were killed, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.
Separately, security forces gunned down five LTTE cadres and lost two of their men in Mannar on Tuesday, it said, adding another three rebels were killed by troops in clashes in Andankulam and Wettambukulam areas in the same region.
In Jaffna's Nagarkovil area on Tuesday, a Tiger rebel was killed in a confrontation with security forces, the Defence Ministry said. Troops shot dead one more rebel in Nagarkovil when a group of LTTE cadres fired at their positions.
The ministry said two rebels were fatally shot by troops at Vedamakulam in Vavuniya in another incident on Tuesday.
In Karamakkulam area of Vavuniya, troops killed a rebel on Tuesday, the army said.
In Karamakkulam area of Vavuniya, troops killed a rebel on Tuesday, the army said.
In a separate incident, troops attacked an LTTE bunker with Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and machine guns in the general area of Palamodai in Mannar killing three guerrillas, the army said.
Security forces killed three more rebels in Vilattikulam in Vavuniya.