Colombo - At least 73 people were killed and hundreds wounded as Sri Lanka launched fresh air and sea attacks against Tamil rebels yesterday, officials said.
Soldiers pulled out from Mamunai in the Jaffna peninsula under heavy overnight fire from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) but aircraft and gun boats pounded rebel positions, the defence ministry said.
It said 52 government troopers, including two officers were killed and another 275 soldiers were wounded.
The ministry placed rebel losses at "over 150 casualties". The LTTE's underground Voice of Tigers radio said 16 of their cadres were killed.
The navy sank two rebel boats carrying reinforcements, while the airforce bombed guerrilla concentrations, the ministry said.
