COLOMBO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government said on Tuesday it had launched air and naval raids on Tamil Tiger rebel positions in an east province after mid day's blast which caused critical injuries to the country's Army chief.

    Palitha Kohona, head of the government peace secretariat, said that retaliatory air raids were conducted in the Liberation Tigersof Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bases in the eastern province area of Sampur.

    "These attacks were done in retaliation as the LTTE had fired shells at the government troops in the Eastern Province," Kohona said.

    At least 10 people were killed with 27 other seriously injured, including Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Sarath Fonseka, due to a suicide attack blamed on the LTTE rebels which took place within the Army headquarters complex in the city.

    Fonseka and seven other military officers are receiving urgent medical care at the intensive care unit of the Colombo National Hospital, hospital officials said.

    The air and naval raids were launched in the evening some four hours after the blast, defense officials said.

    Kohona, however, said that military attacks did not mean the return to the hostilities and the government was "still committed to peace".

    He added that the attacks were meant to deter LTTE from future attacks.

    Kohona questioned the rebel sincerity in engaging the government in truce talks.

    The suicide attack on the Army chief was the worst attack since the Tigers and the government entered the ongoing Norwegian-backed ceasefire.

    Elilan, a Tiger eastern rebel leader, told reporters that civilians were fleeing the area due to air raids.

    A new wave of violence hit the troubled North and Eastern provinces since April 7 which culminated with the attack on the Army chief.

    The violence forced the cancellation of the new round of peace talks in Geneva, which should have been held on April 24-25.

    The rebels say they are being subject to continuous attacks carried out by paramilitary groups operating with the government troops. They demand an end to violence in order to facilitate truce talks. Enditem