Colombo, January 28: The Sri Lankan Air Force Monday mounted an offensive on a Tamil Tigers base to retaliate the rebels' artillery fire in the northern Jaffna peninsula Monday morning, defence officials said here.
"The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists have launched indiscriminate artillery shelling targeting the Jaffna peninsula this morning," an official said.

Following the shelling, the Sri Lankan Air Force fighter jets bombed an LTTE artillery gun position at Kalmunai point at Pooneryn, close to the Jaffna lagoon, around 11:45 a.m. local time, the officials said.

The bombing came in addition to heavy artillery and rocket attack on the rebel positions. Defence officials Monday said that at least 39 combatants from the government troops and the Tamil rebels were killed in fighting throughout Sunday.

Some 22 rebels and two soldiers were killed in several clashes in the northern Vavuniya district while five LTTE rebels were killed in Welioya district, the officials said.

Four LTTE members were killed in Mannar and Jaffna districts while another LTTE cadre was killed in eastern district of Batticaloa. A soldier was killed in the northern Jaffna peninsula clashes, the officials added.