The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Colombo

Sri Lankan naval forces backed by helicopter gunships attacked a group of rebel boats early Tuesday, sinking two and killing six Tamil Tiger sailors, the military said. The sea battle came as the military pushed ahead with its multi-pronged offensive against the rebels' de facto state in the north. The battle erupted in Nayaru Lagoon on Sri Lanka's northeast coast, just south of the rebel stronghold of Mullaitivu, when navy forces attacked seven Tamil Tiger boats, the military said in a statement. The navy sank two rebel boats and severely damaged a third, killing six rebel sailors, the military said.

As the remaining rebel boats fled to shore to be hauled out of the water, attack helicopters pounded them with airstrikes, it said. The military also launched airstrikes in other parts of the north, sending helicopters to attack a rebel gathering point in Kilinochchi district early Tuesday, the military said.

It was not possible to contact rebel officials for comment because most communication lines with the north have been severed. Independent accounts are difficult to obtain from the battlefield because most journalists are barred from the war zone.