The military announced on Friday that Sri Lankan troops killed almost 42 rebels, including one area leader.

According to the military, rebel positions were captured on Friday in the north-western district of Mannar.

The fighting took place along the “border” between the territory occupied by the government and the rebel one.

This is part of government’s attempt to throw the rebels from the northern stronghold and put an end to the 25-year civil war.

Still analysts fear that this won’t end so soon, as rebels fight back with suicide bombings and air attacks.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said: "A one kilometer stretch of (LTTE) Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam positions were captured by the troops this morning. The confrontation killed 12 LTTE terrorists, while two soldiers died and five were wounded," Reuters reports.

The military fought the rebels in the northern districts of Jaffna, Vavuniya and Mannar and the north-eastern district of Trincomalee killing at least 30 of them and injuring 24 other.

During the clashes one soldier died and eight others were wounded.

On Friday a civilian and a soldier were wounded in the northern area of Weli-oya from a rebel mortar bomb.

The rebels were not available for comment.

Almost 800 rebels were killed in the fighting with the government’s troops since a cease fire ended last month.

Ever since the Tigers started a campaign in 1972 to form an independent state in the north and east of the country, almost 70,000 people have died.

Tamil Tigers have been discriminated for decades by majority Sinhalese-controlled governments and they consider Jaffna as their territory.

The region was under military control until 1995, but ever since then the rebels have been caring out attacks.

Four fronts were opened by Sri Lanka army near the Tigers' de facto state in the north in its attempt to crush the rebels and put an end to the two-decade war.