The Sri Lankan military said Monday 25 rebels and five soldiers have been killed in confrontations between Tamil Tiger rebels and government troops in the north.

Officials from Media Center for National Security said some 22 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels were killed in separate clashes between the two sides in the Mannar district.

Five soldiers were also killed while 19 others injured in these battles on Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the Vavuniya district, three rebels were killed in two confrontations with the troops.

Government troops and the LTTE rebels are currently engaged in intensive military conflicts in the north, with the government determining to defeat the LTTE rebels before the end of this year.

The military said more than 700 people have been killed in the escalating conflict since the beginning of this year.

The LTTE has been fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east for more than two decades, resulting in the death of more than 70,000 people so far.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2008)