COLOMBO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan troops have captured territory from the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the island's north eastern region, defense official said Wednesday.

    In a military operation which began Tuesday morning, the troops by evening had been able to capture an area of one square kilometer from rebel control north of Parappakandal in the Mannar district, officials said.

    Officials also added that some 38 rebel cadres had been killed in five different clashes in Jaffna, Vavuniya and Mannar districts in the north.

    At least seven soldiers were injured in the battles, officials said.

    With the decision by the government last week to unilaterally abrogate the Norwegian backed ceasefire the island has been hit by renewed violence.

    Some 10 people have been killed in the capital Colombo and suburbs since Jan. 1. The death toll includes a government minister and a main opposition politician.

    More than 5000 people have been killed in the escalation of violence since the end of 2005. Over 70,000 people are now believed to have died in one of the world's longest running civil wars.

    The LTTE rebels have been fighting the government troops since the mid 1980s in their quest to set up a separate homeland for the minority Tamil community in the north and east regions.