The announcement follows five days of heavy fighting in which the rebels claim they overran a major military base near the key Elephant Pass base complex, which serves as a gateway to the Jaffna peninsula. Military officials deny losing the base and say troops are consolidating along the main supply route that connects the peninsula with the rest of the island. The Defense Ministry statement says ground troops backed by the navy and airforce have effectively repulsed rebel attacks. Meanwhile, all civilian charter flights from the Jaffna peninsula to the capital Colombo have been suspended following Thursday's air-crash, which killed all 40 on board. Military officials say the Russian built aircraft had been chartered by the airforce and was taking troops to the ancient city of Anuradhapura, to attend funerals of relatives killed in recent fighting against the Tiger rebels.
Witnesses say the plane caught fire before it crash- landed northeast of Colombo.
In the past the Sri Lankan airforce has lost several planes and helicopters to the Tiger guerrillas. Rebel guerrillas have been fighting for a separate homeland for the minority Tamil community in Sri Lanka's north and east since 1983.