'Tamil Tigers hit' in naval clash

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The Sri Lankan military says it has destroyed several Tamil Tiger boats and killed as many as 40 rebels in clashes off the north-west coast of the island.

It said attack boats, helicopters and jets were used against the rebel vessels, which it said were involved in "arms smuggling".

The pro-rebel site TamilNet said a Sri Lankan naval vessel was sunk in Wednesday's sea battle.

The navy admitted that a ship had been "badly damaged" by two suicide boats.

It did not say whether any Sri Lankan troops were killed or wounded in the clashes. The report on TamilNet said the Sri Lankan Navy had "suffered casualties".

'Fierce battle'

The defence ministry released a statement saying a "suspicious boat cluster" had been spotted in the seas south-west of the island of Delft, 60km (37 miles) west of Jaffna, on Wednesday morning.

"Clashes erupted and turned into a fierce sea battle," it said.

"Six [Tamil Tiger] attack boats were destroyed including two suicide craft during a heavy sea battle... at least 40 terrorists were killed during the hours-long sea confrontation."

The military has reported killing hundreds of Tigers in recent fighting, including a number of battles that have taken place at sea.

Violence that erupted when a peace drive collapsed last year is reported to have killed more than 5,000 people.

Analysts say both sides often exaggerate enemy losses and underestimate their own, and that it is rarely possible to verify their figures.