COLOMBO, Dec 11: Sri Lankan troops killed more than 230 Tamil Tiger rebels in beating off an attack on a key military camp in the country’s north early today, the defence ministry said, reports Reuters.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels struck at government forward defence lines on the eastern side of the Elephant Pass camp, using artillery and mortars, a ministry statement said.

With air force and navy support, troops drove back rebels attempts to breech the camp's defences and also stopped guerillas in boats from landing near the military base, the statement said.

A second landing attempt by the Tigers was also repulsed by the navy and air force, it said.

The air force later struck at rebel concentrations near the military camp and the navy pursued retreating guerillas, the ministry said.

"As per reports received so far. over 230 terrorists have been killed and a large number wounded." the statement said.

The ministry said 41 security forces personnel were wounded. 11 seriously.

The Elephant Pass military

complex lies on the causeway that links the mainland with the northern Jaffna peninsula.

War activity has shown signs of intensifying in recent weeks ahead of Sri Lanka's presidential election on December 21.

Today's strikes follow attacks last month in which the Tigers recaptured vast regions of territory in the northern Wanni region that the military had seized in several operations over the past few years.

The international aid group Medeclns Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned that the separatist war was causing growing civilian deaths and hardship to people living in the war zone.

The LTTE has been fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in Sri Lanka's north and east since 1983 in a war that has claimed more than 55,000 lives.

MSF said in a statement seen by Reuters today that con-tinued heavy fighting in Sri Lanka's north and east would worsen the already precarious situation for civilians there.

It urged both parties to agree to establishment of humanitarian corridors and safe areas to improve aid access.