Colombo, March 22: An area of a square kilometre in Parayanakulam in Mannar district in northern Sri Lanka, held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was recaptured by government troops early Saturday, officials said.

At least 15 rebels and two soldiers were killed in the fierce fighting, defence officials said. Nine soldiers and a large numbers of rebels had been injured.

Frequent clashes take place in the north with government troops taking on the rebels on three different fronts, officials said.

The military said the present thrust is meant to crush the rebel strongholds in the northern province.

More than 70,000 people have died in the separatist war in the island nation since the mid 1980s.