Colombo (PTI): At least 46 LTTE militants and three Sri Lankan soldiers were killed in fierce clashes in the island nation's embattled north as the security forces captured a strategic one sq km area in the north-western Mannar, the Army said on Friday. At least 12 Tamil Tiger rebels and two soldiers were killed on Friday as the security forces captured an area south of Adampan tank in Mannar, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.

In Jaffna, LTTE intercepted communications said four militants were killed in a boat as it came under attack from the army on Thursday, it said. While two Tamil Tiger rebels were killed in Srikulam area of Mannar, another militant was shot dead in Nadunkandal area in the same region on Thursday, the army said.

Three LTTE militants were gunned down in Vavuniya and two rebels were shot dead in Janakapura area in north-eastern Welioya on Thursday, it said, adding one soldier was also killed in this incident.

While two militants died in Narikkulam area of Vavuniya in a clash on Thursday, six Tamil Tiger rebels were killed and eight injured in Periyapandivirichchan area in the same region on Thursday, the MCNS said. Two militants were killed in Navatkulam area of Vavuniya in a clash on Thursday.