COLOMBO. Feb 1: More than 300 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in a battle in northern Sri Lanka Just days before planned celebrations for the country's 50th anniversary of independence, the defence ministry said today, reports Reuter.

The fighting, the first major battle with separatist rebels since December, came one week after a bomb blast at a Buddhist shrine In central Kandy town forced the government to change the venue for the anniversary festivities. '

The ministry said a large rebel force launched an attack in northern Kilinochchi district late on Saturday and fighting continued until the early hours of today.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerillas attacked troops manning defences east of Paranthan in the district, which lies just south of the former rebel stronghold of Jaffna peninsula, the ministry said.

"So far 218 bodies of terrorists have been recovered. According to ground troops over 300 terrorists have been killed and a large number injured dur-

ing the confrontation." the statement said.

Twenty government soldiers were killed and 86 wounded in the fighting as troops successfully repulsed the attack, it said. Troops were backed by ar-Ullejy and air strikes.

"The army is now in complete control of the situation and a clearing operation is on." a military spokesman said.

The government outlawed the LTTE last week after blaming the guerillas for the Kandy bomb blast that damaged Sri Lanka's holiest Buddhist shrine and killed 16 people. The ban on the LTTE was condemned by opposition leaders as closing the door to talks and restricting the government to the military option.

The bomb blast forced the government to shift the anniversary celebrations to Colombo, where foreign ministers have begun arriving for the festivities due to take place on Wednesday.

Armed soldiers patrol the capital's streets and new checkpoints have been set up amid tight security ahead of the celebrations. which Prince Charles

of Britain, the former colonial power, was also due to attend.

Senior military officials said by phone from Jaffna the rebels had breached the army's defences in some places in the latest fighting and had managed to get close to artillery positions.

“We were expecting the attack and our counterattack plans were in place." a top military official Said.

The ministry statement said artillery and airforce Jets were continuing to pound the retreating rebels.

A spokesman for LTTE in London was not immediately available for comment.

Today's fighting was the first major battle between the rebels and government troops reported since December, when 146 soldiers were killed near Mankulain, which lies on the highway the military has been trying to capture in a ninemonth campaign.

Government troops launched an offensive code-named operation Jayasikuru (sure of victory) in May last year and thousands of soldiers and rebels have been reported killed or wounded in the fighting since then.

The highway would give the military land access to Jaffna, where all troops and supplies have currently to be transported by ah or sea.

LITE rebels have been fighting for a separate homelandfor minority Tamils in Sri Lanka's north arjd east since 1983. The government says more than 50.000 people have been killed in the war. but LTTE put the toll higher.