COLOMBO, June 3: Eighty-two combatants were killed as the Tamil Tigers destroyed army bases in northern Sri Lanka on Sunday.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they launched attacks along a broad front in Vavuniya and Mannar districts.

They captured armoured vehicles and heavy weapons after destroying long-range guns belonging to the military. They also said they destroyed four or five gun positions.

The Tigers said they killed at least 30 sxecurity personnel in a five-hour battle to capture several gun positions and military detachments. The Tigers also released pictures of an armoured carrier and bases they captured.

The Sri Lankan defence ministry said heavy fighting raged in the area, but claimed that the military had beaten back a guerrilla offensive by killing at least 52 Tiger cadres.—AFP