COLOMBO, May 4: Sri Lanka bombed a rebel storage facility on Sunday, while heavy fighting in the island’s north claimed the lives of at least 35 Tigers and eight soldiers, the defence ministry said.

Air force fighter jets dropped bombs over a rebel supply and storage facility in the guerrilla-controlled northern district of Mullaittvu, the ministry said.

“The enemy target had been under constant surveillance and the latest air reconnaissance information has revealed intensified activities in the area,” it said.

Government troops battled the rebels in Mannar district on Saturday, killing 35 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres and wounding 39 guerrillas, the military said.

Eight soldiers died during Saturday’s clashes and 13 were injured, the military said.

ARMS SHIPMENTS: Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger rebels have received at least three shipments of military hardware in the recent months, a news report said Sunday quoting the island’s intelligence agencies.—AFP