The New Nation - Internet Edition

Reutersn, Colombo

Sri Lankan warplanes bombed a Tamil Tiger base in the far north on Friday, a day after ground troops killed 30 rebels in clashes across the region, the military said.

Seven soldiers were killed in the battles on Thursday, the latest in an intensification of the 25-year civil war following the official scrapping of a truce with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam last week. "We have taken a target today morning using fighter aircrafts and the target was a LTTE transport base located in Selvanagar in Kilinochchi," said air force spokesman Wing Commander Andrew Wijesuriya.

Pilots confirmed the raid was successful, he said. Kilinochchi is the de facto capital of the LTTE fighting for an independent homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east of the island.