Sri Lanka's Air Force bombed targets of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the north and east on Tuesday, said the military.

 

Military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe said Air Force Kfir jets carried out air strikes on an identified sea tiger base in the northern district of Mannar at about 9:30 a.m. (0400 GMT).

 

The Air Force also successfully neutralized a LTTE mortar position in Vakarai at about 10:20 a.m. (0450 GMT), said Samarasinghe.

 

Meanwhile, the military denied reports that civilian settlements were targeted in the Air Force attack in Mannar.

 

The pro-LTTE website TamilNet said at least 15 civilians were killed and 30 others were injured in the aerial bombardment carried out by the Air Force in Mannar.

 

However, the military said the sea tiger base in Mannar was a well identified target which was under constant monitoring by the Air Force.

 

"The LTTE is currently spreading false information that the SLAF (Sri Lanka Air Force) has bombed a civilian settlement in an attempt to discredit the security forces and to win the sympathy of the international community," said the Media Center for National Security in a statement.

 

The violence between the government troops and the LTTE over last year has accounted for over 3,500 deaths seriously jeopardizing the Norwegian backed process of negotiations to end the separatist armed conflict.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2007)