(Xinhua) -- At least 26 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed and over 30 injured in separate fighting with the government troops in the rebels' shrinking territory in the northern Mullaittivu district of Sri Lanka on Friday, the military said on Saturday. The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the troops neutralized the attempts of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to attack the military forward defenses North of Iranapalai and East of Puthukudiyirippu on Friday.
The statement said sporadic fighting and small scale door-to-door operations were continuing in the area targeting LTTE pockets and resistance positions.
It also said the LTTE are continuing shelling artillery barrages and mortar from the government declared no fire zone, which has also increased the number of injuries among those civilians fleeing from LTTE held area.
The statement said the rebels' casualties were caused by the troops 53, 57 and 58 divisions in Mullaittivu, without mentioning whether any government soldier was killed or injured in the fighting.
The military say the LTTE are now cornered in an area of just 21 sq km including 20 sq km safe zone declared by the government in Mullaittivu after the military recorded unprecedented success in the current military campaign started in 2006.