The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Colombo

Sri Lankan troops shot dead at least 40 Tamil Tiger rebels and beat back counter-attacks by the guerrillas on Christmas Day, the defence ministry said.

Clashes erupted Thursday along at least three fronts outside the town of Kilinochchi, the besieged political capital of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the ministry said.

It said snipers killed 28 rebels in two places while another 12 rebels were killed and 18 more wounded in the third clash. The military did not say if security forces suffered any casualties. "The LTTE terrorists have tried several times to recapture the lost areas," the ministry said, referring to running battles with the guerrillas along their Kilinochchi defences. There was no immediate comment from the Tigers.

The Tigers said Monday that they had killed more than 100 soldiers and had taken back territory lost to advancing government forces. Both sides are known to make exaggerated claims about casualties they have inflicted on each other, and independent verification is virtually impossible as journalists and aid workers are barred from the conflict area. In January the Sri Lankan government pulled out of a 2002 Norwegian-brokered truce with the rebels, who have been fighting since 1972 for a state for ethnic minority Tamils separate from the majority Sinhalese community.

Earlier, Sri Lanka's military beat back a Tamil Tiger counter-offensive in the island's north, killing at least 18 guerrillas, the defence ministry said on Thursday.

The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) mounted the offensive outside their besieged political capital of Kilinochchi on Wednesday, the ministry said.

"Well prepared troops engaged the advancing terrorists with armour, tanks, artillery and infantry causing heavy damage," the ministry said in a statement.

It said 18 rebels were killed and another 34 wounded, but did not give details of casualties on the government side.

The pro-rebel Tamilnet.com website said there was heavy fighting in the area, but gave no further details.

Military officials said war planes also carried out bombing missions against Tiger defences of Kilinochchi on Christmas day Thursday, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The Tigers on Monday said that they killed more than 100 soldiers and had taken back territory lost to advancing government forces.

Both sides are known to make exaggerated claims about casualties they have inflicted on each other, and independent verification is virtually impossible as journalists and aid workers are barred from the conflict area.

In January the Sri Lankan government pulled out of a 2002 Norwegian-brokered truce with the rebels, who have been fighting since 1972 for a state for ethnic minority Tamils separate from the majority Sinhalese