COLOMBO, June 19: Tamil Tiger rebels and the army exchanged artillery fire on Monday evening as the government peace secretariat appealed to the LTTE to recommence peace talks.

“The LTTE fired at military checkpoints in Nagarkovil in Jaffna and troops retaliated but there were no casualties,” military spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said as air force jets flew over the north and east in what the military described as part of a training mission.

Both the military and the LTTE confirmed that air force jets flew over LTTE bases of Killinochchi and Mullativu on Monday but said no bombs were dropped.

Government jets pounded the LTTE strongholds in the north and east for two consecutive nights beginning last Thursday after a suspected LTTE attack on a bus killed 64 people.