“At least 10 terrorists were killed, similar numbers seriously injured and two LTTE heavy guns damaged in pre-emptive strikes carried out by troops on Saturday at the Wanni Forward Defence Lines (FDLs),” the Ministry of Defence said.

No damages were caused to the  troops during these separate clashes.

It said four LTTE cadres were killed and three of  their bunkers destroyed when the troops carried out a pre-emptive strike ahead of  the Uyilankulam FDLs while six rebels were killed during a confrontation with the troops near Giant's Tank.

It also claimed that two artillery guns were damaged when the government soldiers retaliated an LTTE offensive in the general area of Parappankandal.

There was no immediate word from the rebels regarding these claims.

Six Sri Lankan soldiers were killed on Friday due to an “accidental explosion” at Irana Junction in Vavuniya when troops were inspecting the mines which were recently unearthed from the Wanni FDLs.

Fresh clashes
Fresh clashes appeared to have intensified in the northern Wanni few days after a 21-member “Black Tiger” team carried out a Commando-style suicide attack on the Anuradhapura Air Force base. Confirming that only eight aircraft, including an expensive high-tech Beechcraft surveillance plane and two Russian-build MI-24 helicopters, were destroyed during the rebel attack, Air Force Commander, Air Vice Marshal Roshan Goonatilleka said  the estimated cost of the damage (of the destroyed aircraft) was around US$ 15 million.

In their first-ever coordinated land and air strike, the Tigers used their light wing aircraft to bomb the base while staging a devastating attack after infiltrating into the airbase.

The Air Force chief has already initiated a top-level inquiry into the base attack.