Sri Lanka's says troops have captured the Tamil Tigers rebels' 12-km long defense line south of Nachchikuda in the island's northwestern coast.

The defense ministry, in a statement Thursday, said troops captured the rebels' defense line after an offensive the previous evening.

Nachchikuda is a major stronghold of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the western edge of the rebel-controlled Kilinochchi district.

"Task Force1 troops launched a multi-pronged offensive and marched towards Nachchikuda from three directions destroying and capturing vital terror positions in the area," it said.

The announcement on Thursday came in the wake of a rare air raid by the Tigers on a power plant in Colombo.

It was not known how many had been killed in the fighting, as a new government policy bans details concerning casualties.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, commonly known as the Tamil Tigers, is a nationalist organization which has been involved in a violent campaign against the Sri Lankan government for autonomy since the 1970s.

The Sri Lankan government, which pulled out of a Norwegian-backed truce with the rebels in January, has vowed a complete crack down on the LTTE.

ZHD/RA