By DPA
Colombo : Government troops Wednesday captured a rebel-held area in north-western Sri Lanka and claimed to have killed at least 34 Tamil insurgents, military officials said.
They said the troops took control of a one-kilometre stretch in the area of Mannar district, 320 km north of the capital, amidst stiff resistances from the rebels.
Ground troops monitoring communications of the rebels said at least 19 rebels had been killed in the fighting since Tuesday in the area.
There was no immediate reaction from the rebels to the claims by the military.
Troops also launched an operation on a row of bunkers of the rebels in the same area, causing heavy damage to the rebels, the military said.
However, a soldier was killed and seven others were injured in the clashes, the army said.
In a separate incident, at least 10 rebels were killed in the Mullikulam area of Mannar district while five rebels were shot dead in Vilattikulam Tuesday.
The incidents came a day after Tamil rebels assassinated a minister of the ruling party by triggering off a claymore mine as he was heading to parliament.
The body of Minister of Nation Building DM Dassanayaka, 54, was flown to his hometown in Ananmaduwa, 210 km north of the capital, Wednesday as the government strongly condemned the attack. His funeral will take place Saturday.