COLOMBO, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan Air Force here Thursday said that an anti-aircraft weapon position of the rebel Tamil Tigers was destroyed in air raids carried out in the island's Northern Province.

    Officials said the anti-aircraft weapon position at Pudukudiiruppu in the Mullaithivu district was totally destroyed in an air raid carried out at about 10:40 a.m. local time (0510 GMT).

    The Air Force also pounded a Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) mortar gun position at Pallai in the northern Jaffna peninsula at 10:30 a.m. local time (0500 GMT).

    On Wednesday, the Air Force destroyed a LTTE communication center at Pudukudiiruppu.

    Government troops have stepped up air raids against rebel positions after last month's first ever air strike by the rebels against the main Air Force base adjoining the island's only international airport near Colombo.

    The two sides are resisting calls by the international community to resume the process of direct negotiations to end the country's long running armed conflict that had claimed more than 67,000 people's lives since the mid of 1980s.