Intensifying their offensive on the cornered Tamil Tigers, Sri Lankan fighter jets on Sunday, blasted a boat carrying a number of rebels in Jaffna waters while troops gunned down five LTTE cadres and captured a guerrilla training camp elsewhere in the embattled north, the military said.

"Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets successfully targeted retreating LTTE cadres in the area of Chundikulam in Jaffna on Sunday," the air force said.

Separately, the airstrikes destroyed a "large boatload" of LTTE rebels in the Chundikulam lagoon in Jaffna on Sunday morning, it said. Many Tiger rebels may have been killed in the attack, officers said.

The troops are pushing further into the last remaining LTTE strongholds in the once rebel-dominated northern Sri Lanka after capturing the LTTE de facto capital of Kilinocchchi and the startegic Elephant Pass in recent days.

In latest clashes at Vaddakachchi and Kandavalai areas near Kilinochchi, troops killed at least five LTTE cadres, the army said.

Besides the dead bodies of the rebels, the troops also recovered 1000 rounds of T-56 ammunition, four T-56 weapos, communication sets and an ammunition box.

The task force of the army captured an LTTE training camp at Aiyamperumal in Mullaittivu on Saturday afternoon, the military said adding, the facility had underground bunkers. The troops also recovered military hardware from the region.

In separate clashes elsewhere in Mullaittivu, security forces caused heavy damages to the LTTE fighters, the governments Media Centre for National Security said.

Both the LTTE and the army suffered damages after heavy fighting at south of Mulliyawelli in Mullaittivu on Saturday, it
said.

Reports of more clashes came in from Mulliyawelli area, Keridamadhu and Thaddamalai in Mullaittivu and East Ampakkman, the military said.

At Kachchilamadu in Mullaittivu, troops recovered a T-56 assault rifle and a bottle filled with explosives after a confrontation with the Tiger rebels on Saturday.

The army found three bodies of LTTE cadres during clashes at Nithiyaveddai and Kottandarkulam, about 8.5 kms North-East of Elephant Pass on Saturday, the army said.

Separately, two Tiger cadres were killed after a group of rebels attacked the LTTE breakaway faction TMVPs office at Killiveddi in Eastern Trincomalee, the army said adding one party member was also killed during the incident.

Source : Central