Upsurge of fighting in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan forces say the LTTE suffered heavy losses

Sri Lankan air force jets launched a bombing campaign against Tamil Tiger rebel positions on Wednesday, as 11 rebels and two soldiers were killed in separate clashes over the past few days.

It is believed that they [the Tamil Tigers] suffered heavy casualties

Sri Lankan military spokesman

Five air force jets carried out the attacks in Nagar Kovil, about 35km (20 miles) northeast of Jaffna city.

The clashes come less than one week after the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) extended a unilateral ceasefire for a fourth month, with a threat to terminate it early if the government did not respond positively and stop its attacks on the rebels.

A military spokesman said the LTTE suffered heavy losses.

"We don't have any figures yet, but it is believed that they suffered heavy casualties," Sanath Karunaratne said.

Ground battles

A military statement said the dead included three women fighters belonging to LTTE, who were killed on Tuesday by government troops.

Security checkpoints are set up in and around the capital

The statement said four other rebels were killed in a separate incident in the same area, while four more were killed in Jaffna in a confrontation with troops.

The two soldiers were killed by a mine when searching an abandoned house in Jaffna peninsula.

In the capital, Colombo, police detained eight people, including a bus driver and his assistant, after two parcels containing explosives were found under the driver's seat, a government spokesman said.

The driver, his assistant and six passengers were taken into custody.

Rebel campaign

Security checkpoints are set up in and around the capital to detect Tamil rebels trying to carry out attacks.

The LTTE is leading a campaing for independence in the island's northern and eastern regions.

The rebels have been fighting to carve out a Tamil homeland since 1983, claiming discrimination at the hands of the majority Sinhalese.

More than 64,000 people have been killed in fighting in the past two decades.