COLOMBO: Fourteen Tamil Tiger guerillas and two soldiers were killed on Monday as Air Force planes pounded rebel territory in the north-east. Air Force jets targeted rebel bases mainly in the north while troops launched separate ground attacks in the eastern Batticaloa district, military spokesperson Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said. Twelve soldiers were wounded in the clashes, he said.

The fresh fighting comes a day after the Navy sank two ships transporting weapons to the LTTE. The ships were sunk on Sunday in the seas off the Ampara district, Navy sources said.

According to military sources, nearly 100 rebels have been killed in the past two weeks as the government stepped up attacks in their territory. The Tamil Tiger rebels have refused comment on their casualty figures but have denied military statistics.