COLOMBO, Dec 23: Tamil rebels and Sri Lankan troops fought fierce battles in the north at the weekend, leaving several combatants dead or wounded, according to conflicting statements from both sides on Sunday.

The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they resisted a 10-hour military push on Saturday into the district of Mannar, killing at least 17 soldiers and wounding 54.

The guerillas said they lost three of their fighters. But the defence ministry said the military killed eight Tigers for the loss of one soldier on Saturday.

Three more Tiger rebels were killed in another clash in the same region Sunday, the ministry said adding that troops did not suffer any casualties.

The ministry said troops had smashed a front-line position of the Tigers in Mannar and also captured another base in the adjoining Vavuniya district on Saturday.

The military said in a statement that it killed eight guerrillas on Sunday morning.—AFP