Colombo, Aug 26 (DPA) At least 15 Tamil rebels and seven soldiers were killed in fighting in northern Sri Lanka during a military offensive on rebel strongholds, military officials said Tuesday.Two soldiers were killed in each of three separate incidents in the Mullaitivu district and another soldier was killed in Kilinochchi district, 320 km north of the capital Colombo.

Among the rebels, six were killed in a Kilinochchi and one in Vavuniya and eight others were killed in fighting with government troops in Weloya, officials said.

Over the past two years, government troops have captured the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels-controlled areas in the Eastern province and are now concentrating on areas in the north.

According to government figures, more than 9,000 rebels and 1,770 soldiers have been killed in the past two years.