Twenty-two LTTE militants were killed in clashes with government forces in Sri Lanka's embattled north, while 10 civilians were shot dead by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels in the country's South-East.
Two security personnel also lost their lives during confrontations yesterday, the army said.
Today, Air Force fighter jets and the Army carried out attacks on rebel positions in the north. "At Mullaithivu, Air Force fighter jets successfully bombed a LTTE military and storage complex at Walipuram this morning," the Defence Ministry said.
"The target was taken based on ground intelligence after conducting air reconnaissance," it said adding pilots confirmed the mission was executed successfully.
Meanwhile, in a brutal incident, suspected LTTE militants last night gunned down ten civilians at a village in the South East, the army said.
"A group of LTTE militants have carried out a cowardly attack at the civilians at Kalawalgala, a remote village in the Thanamalwila area around 10 pm last night," it said adding 10 civilians were killed.
It is believed the militants killed the civilians after forcibly taking them to a jungle patch before the villagers became suspicious, the Defence Ministry said.
Troops engaged in search operations found six bodies this morning after recovering four yesterday. The rebels had laid anti-personnel mines in the area in order to slow down army pursuit, it said.
In clashes in Jaffna yesterday, troops recovered the body of a Tiger militants with gun-shot wounds although he had also chewed a cyanide capsule, the army said.
In separate clashes in the region, five militants were gunned down by the security forces yesterday, the army said.
"Meanwhile, two soldiers were killed and similar numbers injured in three separate confrontations with LTTE in the Mannar front in North Western Sri Lanka," it said.
Later, around 6:10 pm yesterday, troops repulsed an LTTE offensive attempt at the general area of Chettikulama, Mannar killing at least seven LTTE cadres, security sources said.
In ground clashes, the army said troops killed four LTTE female cadre today while destroying their bunker at Omanthai west in Northern Vavuniya.
At Chenkaladi area in Eastern Batticaloa, one LTTE militant was killed when troops fired at a group of rebels in the early hours of today, it added.
Meanwhile, four militants were killed in a confrontation in Kurunchchikulam area in Vavuniya yesterday, the Media Centre for National Security said.
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