COLOMBO, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan military said 14 Tamil Tigers rebels were killed in the north on Thursday amid escalating conflicts between government troops and the rebels.

    The Media Center for National Security said in a statement that Army troops launched a swift attack on LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) rebels in the Sinnaodaippu area of the Mannar district around 6 a.m. (0030 GMT) to secure a sluice gate, which is an important water flow control point.

    "In this attack 14 LTTE terrorists were killed and six T-56 assault riffles were recovered. Two soldiers were slightly injured in this attack," said the statement.

    The military also said Air Force jets bombed an LTTE artillery command center and an underground bunker in the Palai area of the Jaffna peninsula around 11:10 a.m. (0540 GMT) and the target was completely destroyed.

    Meanwhile, the LTTE said Thursday that eight civilians riding in tractors were killed in two different Claymore mine attacks carried out by Army Deep Penetration Unit teams in the Vavuniya district on Wednesday.

    Government troops and the LTTE are currently engaged in intensive military conflicts in the north, with the government determining to defeat the LTTE before the end of this year.

    The military said more than 700 people have been killed in the escalating conflict since the beginning of this year.

    The LTTE has been fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east for more than two decades, resulting in the death of more than 70,000 people.