Colombo, July 1 (IANS) Eight Sri Lankan jets Tuesday bombed a Tamil Tiger training base in the northern Wanni region, the defence ministry said. A defence ministry statement said the target at Ampakaman, eight kilometres northeast of Mankulam junction, “was a training base for LTTE members of specialized bands such as ‘air tigers’ and others”. It was bombed around 6.15 a.m.

“The target was engaged using eight fighter jets and the raid was successful,” the ministry said.

There was no immediate reaction from the rebels.

Speaking about the air force, Army Chief Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka said Monday that nearly 1,000 LTTE cadres had been killed in air raids since August 2006.

Claiming that 9,000 LTTE cadres have been killed since August 2006, he said it would take another year or so for the army “to completely defeat the LTTE militarily”.