COLOMBO, March 21: At least 20 persons were killed on Wednesday as the Tamil Tiger rebels launched a reportedly massive attack on military camps in the eastern Batticaloa district. The Military said four soldiers were killed and at least 35 more injured in the attack launched by the Tigers separatists on five army camps in the east.

A military spokesman at the army headquarters in Colombo said at least 16 tiger guerrillas were killed as government troops retaliated with heavy artillery fire and the Air Force used kafir bomber jets to bomb rebel territory.

“The air force launched targeted attacks on key LTTE bases to help our ground forces. At least two rebel camps were destroyed,” air force spokesman Group Capt Ajantha Silva said.

The Tamil Tiger rebels in a statement on the pro-rebel website Tamil Net said, it launched heavy artillery shelling on army camps located on the checkposts along the eastern Trincomalee -- Batticaloa A-15 road on Wednesday morning. Military sources said over 300 rebels men involved in Wednesday’s attack.

Meanwhile, the military said troops recovered bodies of nine rebel cadres including that of a woman combatant killed in a separate confrontation in Muhamalai in the Jaffna peninsula early on Wednesday morning.