Monday, August 14 2006 15:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: At least 15 people were killed and 20 seriously wounded when shells hit a church near Sri Lanka's Jaffna peninsula, a pro-rebel website said today (Aug 14, 2006).

The St. Philip Mary's church on the Kayts island near Jaffna town was hit yesterday, the Tamilnet website said. It said the shells were fired by the Sri Lankan military from its Palaly base.

"At least 15 persons were killed and 20 severely wounded when rockets and artillery shells fired from Palaly military base hit St.Philip Mary Church in Allaipiddy, Sunday morning," the Tamilnet said.

It said 37 others wounded elsewhere had also been brought to the main hospital in Jaffna.

There was no immediate comment on the church shelling either from the government or the Tamil Tigers.

However, the defene ministry said the air force was carrying our attacks on LTTE targets as fighting raged in Jaffna today for the fourth straight day.