(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-22 15:10

COLOMBO - An area of a square kilometer in Parayanakulam in the Mannar district in north Sri Lanka held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels was re-captured by government troops during early hours of Saturday, defense officials said Saturday.

At least 15 rebels and 2 soldiers were killed in the fierce fighting that took place, officials said. Nine soldiers and a large numbers of rebels had also been injured.

Frequent clashes take place in the north with government troops taking on the rebels in three different fronts, officials said.

The military said the present thrust is meant to crush the rebel strongholds in the northern province.

More than 70,000 people have died in the long running separatist war since the mid 1980s.