The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Colombo

Tamil Tiger rebels shelled a key military base in northern Sri Lanka on Tuesday, officials said, as the defence ministry said dozens of rebels were killed in new fighting.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) attacked the Thallady military camp in the district of Mannar early Tuesday, drawing retaliatory fire from security forces, a military official said.

He said a dozen soldiers were injured. There was no immediate word from the Tigers about the clash.

The shelling came as the defence ministry said 42 Tamil Tiger rebels and 11 soldiers were killed in new clashes across the island's embattled north on Monday.

The fighting in the Weli Oya area also left 35 security personnel and 21 rebels wounded, a defence official said.

According to the defence ministry, 1,168 rebels and 62 government soldiers and police have been killed so far this year.

Casualty figures given by the government cannot be independently verified as journalists and human rights workers are not allowed to enter the battle zone.

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.

The conflict has claimed tens of thousands of

According to the defence ministry's latest tally, 1,168 rebels and 62 government soldiers and police have been killed so far this year.

Casualty figures given by the government or the Tamil Tigers cannot be independently verified as journalists and human rights workers are not allowed to enter the battle zone.

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.