The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Colombo

Government troops attacked separatist Tamil Tiger bunkers along the front lines in Sri Lanka's embattled north, triggering gunbattles that killed 34 rebels and one soldier, the military said Friday.

Army troops destroyed three rebel bunkers Thursday in the Vavuniya region, just south of the rebels' de facto state in the north, killing 20 guerrillas, a Defense Ministry official said.

There was no immediate comment from the rebels.north

In the clashes along the front lines in Vavuniya district, security forces killed 22 guerrillas while destroying three of their bunkers on Thursday, the ministry said in a statement.

It said another 17 rebels were killed in fresh fighting since Thursday in the northern peninsula of Jaffna, north-eastern Trincomalee and the north-western mannar districts.

There were no casualties reported among security forces.

There was no immediate word from the LTTE.

The government claims cannot be independently verified since journalists and human rights groups are not allowed to go to frontline areas or rebel-held territory.

According to the defence ministry, the rebels have lost at least 989 fighters since the beginning of the year, compared with just 42 government soldiers killed. The Sri Lankan government last month officially pulled out of a defunct truce with the rebels, who have fought for more than three decades for an independent ethnic homeland in the Sinhalese-majority island.

Sri Lanka's military said it destroyed six Tamil Tiger rebel bunkers during clashes that killed five guerrillas and one soldier, while a rights group warned that violence is escalating.

Soldiers attacked the rebel bunkers in their northern front lines in Muhamalai and Nagarkovil villages on Thursday and the two sides exchanged gunfire for about a half-hour, a defense official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Five rebels and one soldier were killed, he said. Clashes across three northern fronts Wednesday killed 23 rebels and wounded 11 soldiers, the official said.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International warned that violence by Sri Lankan authorities is escalating and said "threats to the media and media freedoms have increased dramatically."