Sri Lankan war planes on Monday bombed a suspected hideout of the Tamil Tiger's leader as helicopter gunships bombed more rebel positions, the military said.
War planes hit a location where Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran was known to frequent, the air force said, adding that they were awaiting details of damage and casualties.
"Jets engaged a location frequented by Tiger leader in the Puthukkudirrippu (in the Mullaittivu district) jungle this evening," an airforce spokesman said.
Earlier in the day, aircraft hit two positions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at Iranamadu, just south of their political capital of Kilinochchi, which fell to government forces earlier this month.
"Sri Lanka air force Mi-24 helicopter gunships and fighter jets made precision air assaults against two identified LTTE gathering points located in general area of Iranamadu," the defence ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said 19 Tiger rebels were killed and many more wounded in clashes in the Kilinochchi district Sunday. It did not say if its troops suffered any casualties.
The ministry said last week that security forces were ready to deal a "decisive blow" to the rebels after the capture of the strategic Elephant Pass causeway linking the Jaffna peninsula to the Sri Lankan mainland.
The LTTE's main political headquarters of Kilinochchi town was overrun by government troops earlier this month and the rebels are now confined to the jungle and lagoon district around Mullaittivu on Sri Lanka's northeast coast.
The LTTE has not commented on the latest military claims, but has accused troops of directing artillery fire towards a camp for internally displaced people inside rebel-held Mullaittivu Friday, killing one man and injuring four others.
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