COLOMBO, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-one Tamil Tiger rebels were killed on Wednesday in Sri Lanka's northern Mannar district during clashes between government troops and the rebels, defense officials said.

    Officials said the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) began to shell the security forces positions in the early morning hours from the areas east of Madu, forcing the troops to move ahead and clear the LTTE's gun and mortar positions.

    The military said 28 LTTE members were also injured in the operations.

    On the government side, two soldiers were killed and 23 were injured in battle.

    The injured soldiers were rushed to the main hospital at Anuradhapura in North Central Province, Defense officials added.

    However, the pro-LTTE website TamilNet said 12 Army soldiers were killed and 33 wounded in the clashes when the Army launched afresh offensive against rebel positions.

    The clashes came a day after an attempt by the LTTE to bomb the military's main base complex in the northern Jaffna peninsula.

    Government troops and LTTE rebels are currently being locked in fierce battles in the island country's north and east.

    More than 4,000 people have been killed since December 2005 despite a Norwegian-arranged truce in place.

    The LTTE has been fighting for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's 12.5 percent Tamil minority since the 1970s.