COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan military jets bombed and destroyed a Tamil Tiger military base in the island's rebel-held north on Saturday, the military said, in a third successive day of air raids.
There were no details of casualties immediately from thestrike in the northwestern district of Mannar that followedbombings on rebel positions in neighbouring Mullaittivu overthe past two days, an air force spokesman said.
"It was a base used to launch and coordinate attacks in theMannar area, we conducted the air raid in support of armyoperations in Mannar," Wing Commander Andrew Wijesuriya said.
"Pilots confirmed extensive damages to the base from theraid."
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were not immediatelyavailable for comment and there were no independent accounts ofwhat had happened.
Fighting between the military and the Tigers hasintensified since the government formally scrapped a 6-year-oldceasefire pact last month.
The government says the rebels had used the truce to re-armand has vowed to crush them.
Sri Lankan forces are trying to drive the rebels from theirnorthern stronghold and bring an end to a 25-year civil war,but analysts say neither side is winning and predict thefighting will grind on.
(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
