The Associated Press

Fri, May 16, 2008 (12:22 a.m.)

Sri Lankan fighter jets pounded two Tamil Tiger rebel bases deep in the northern jungles, and infantry clashes killed 27 rebels and two government soldiers, the military said Friday.

The planes bombed a base of the Sea Tigers, the rebels' naval wing, in their de facto state in the north early Friday, said air force spokesman Wing Commander Andy Wijesuriya. Another airstrike on a rebel military base in the guerrilla stronghold of Mullaitivu took place overnight, he said.

Wijesuriya did not give details of casualties or damage, but said "pilots have confirmed they hit the target accurately."

The latest infantry clashes erupted Thursday in the Vavuniya, Mannar and Jaffna regions, bordering the rebels' turf, said a Defense Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations.

The worst fighting was reported in Vavuniya, where 18 rebels and one soldier were killed. Six guerrillas were killed in the nearby Mannar district while other fighting in Jaffna and Welioya killed three rebels and one soldier, he said.

Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan was not available for immediate comment.

It was not possible to independently verify the military's claims because reporters are not allowed in the war zone. The two sides are known to exaggerate their enemies' casualties while underreporting their own.

The Tamil Tigers have fought since 1983 to create an independent homeland for minority ethnic Tamils, who have been marginalized by successive governments controlled by majority Sinhalese. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.