Colombo, June 25 (IANS) The Sri Lankan Air Force, supporting advancing troops, Wednesday bombed the Tamil Tigers’ suspected artillery gun positions and forward bunker lines in the north, the government said. “Sri Lankan Air Force fighter craft and MI-24 helicopter gun-ships launched multiple air strikes at identified LTTE positions in separate locations in Wanni and North Wednesday evening,” the Defence Ministry said.

It said that the fighter jets have raided “three artillery launching pads” of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) located three km south of the rebels’ forward defence lines (FDL) at Muhamalai in the northern Jaffna peninsula.

The air raids have come a day after the military said that the troops engaged in offensive operations in the northwestern Manner district captured fresh territories previously held by the Tamil Tigers after fierce clashes, leaving 18 rebels killed Tuesday.

“Troops engaged in counter-terrorist offensive operation in the Mannar front are inching further towards LTTE dominated areas and captured three sq km areas in north of Adampan (Tuesday),” the ministry said Wednesday.

It said that the troops monitoring the LTTE radio transmissions have confirmed that at least 18 LTTE cadres were killed and six more wounded during fierce gun battles with the troops mainly in Mullikandal, Minnaniranchan and Marattikannaddi areas in Mannar.

It said that four government troops were wounded during these clashes.

There was no immediate reaction from the rebels regarding these fresh attacks.

Over 4,000 people have been killed since Dec 26 due to upsurge violence in the country.

Independent verification of the battlefront casualties is not possible because journalists are barred from visiting the area.