Violence escalated in Sri Lanka as the government military jets bombed the rebel positions on Thursday after yesterday the government troops killed at least 100 Tamil Tiger rebels in one of the bloodiest clashes between the two sides since the civil war started.

"The air force fighter jets attacked a LTTE 'Black Tiger' training base," said Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara according to Reuters.

The army also admitted that 43 government troops were killed and 33 are missing after the Wednesday clash in northern Jaffna Peninsula. On the other hand, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said they killed at least 100 soldiers and wounded about 500, while losing only 16 of their own.

Due to the fact that journalists are denied access in the region, the casualties could be much higher or lower, depending on who makes the estimation. Both sides tend to exaggerate the enemy losses and play down their own. An independent confirmation of the casualties isn’t available.

The Wednesday clash started as the rebels tried to recapture lost territory in the Jaffna Peninsula. LTTE said the army tried to take their positions.

"Over 100 Tamil Tigers, including 15 senior terrorists and 43 soldiers were killed in fierce fighting that lasted for 11 hours between the Sri Lanka Army and the rebels in the narrow and open land stretches at Muhamalai and Kilaly [Jaffna] on Wednesday," the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense website said.

The conflict between the Sri Lanka's pro-government forces and the LTTE has started 25 years ago. The rebels are fighting to obtain an independent state for the Tamil minority.

Two attempts of reaching peace were made, but after the last of them made during the peace-talks held in Geneva a year ago, the fighting has intensified.

At least 70,000 people were killed in the heavy fighting since the civil war began.