Monday, August 28 2006 16:11 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Colombo: Sri Lankan troops fired at positions held by the Tamil Tiger rebels in the Northeast of the island nation today (Aug 28, 2006) to offset any attack on a key naval facility.

Security forces fired artillery and mortar bombs towards Sampur, a town on the southern tip of the Koddiyar Bay in Trincomalee, which the rebels were using to hit the strategic Trincomalee naval facility.

The naval facility is the starting point for cargo and troops travelling to the northern peninsula of Jaffna.

"The objective is to neutralise the heavy tiger artillery pieces located at Sampur," an official said.

The rebels have shelled the Trincomlee Port, the main naval base for troops in the embattled northeast and the starting point for troops and cargo headed for the northern Jaffna penninsula.

The latest long-range attacks come a day after the International Committee of the Red Cross ferried 161 foreign nationals to Trincomalee from the Jaffna peninsula.

The foreigners were stranded due to the fighting between troops and Tigers there since August 11.