COLOMBO. Aug 7: Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tiger guerillas today said 51 of their fighters had been killed in a military offensive aimed at seizing their political headquarters, reports AFP.

The separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in a statement from their London office, said they were resisting the military onslaught. against the northern town of Kilinochchi begun On Sunday.

"So far 51. LTTE fighters have attained martyrdom in resisting the military advance towards Kilinochchi." the LTTE said, adding the gov-ernpient forces were pounding the area with artillery and ground-attack aircraft.

The Defence Ministry has said 203 Tigers were killed in the first two days of fighting alone and placed military losses at 31- killed and about 50 wounded.

The LTTE for its part has claimed killing "more than 100” government soldiers. The Tigers also said that must of the buildings in Kilinochchi had been reduced to rubble by air strikes.

Officials said that fighting continued for- the fourth straight day Wednesday and close aiy support was being given to ground troops who had moved within three kilometres (1.8 miles) from Kilinochchi.

'The Sri Lankan Air Force continued to engage terrorist positions in depth causing severe damage to Identified terrorist locations." the ministry said in a statement.

The LTTE said government forces tried to penetrate rebel defences by doing a manoeuvre but were halted by a ferocious counter attack by the guerillas.

The LTTE had moved to Kilinochchi after losing their formet citadel of Jaffna to security forces who mounted a series of operations to take the entire northern peninsula by April and May this year.

Th.ere are no worthwhile buildings left in Kilinochchi/ the LTTE said.