An army Deep Penetration Unit carried out a mine attack on the bus yesterday in the Mannar district, the LTTE Peace Secretariat said in an e-mailed statement. Two teachers and a school principal were among those killed, it said.

There were no military operations so far inside rebel-held territory yesterday, said Brigadier Udaya Nanyakkara, a military spokesman, according to the Defense Ministry's Web site.

The army is attacking LTTE bases in the north after driving the Tamil Tigers from the east in July. Sri Lanka's government ended a 2002 cease-fire with the LTTE on Jan. 16, prompting the United Nations to call on the two sides to prevent the conflict escalating and human rights violations increasing. More... Discuss this story Published: Tue Jan 29 21:21:32 EST 2008

Backed by artillery and mortars, army troops destroyed 10 rebel bunkers and seized about 1 square kilometer (0.39 sq. miles) of territory in the village of Viyattankulam in Mannar district early Tuesday, said a defense ministry official.

The battle lasted about four hours and left 10 rebels dead, said the official speaking on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

In nearby Palaikkuli village, troops destroyed six rebel bunkers, killing 12 guerrillas, he said, adding that the military suffered no casualties. A small area of rebel land was also captured in Palaikkuli.

It was not possible to independently verify the military's claims because the fighting took place deep in the northern jungles, where access is restricted. Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan did not answer calls seeking comment on the military's claims.

Both sides often release inflated enemy casualty figures while underreporting their own.

Government troops have opened up four fronts around the Tigers' de facto state in the north, while the air force has targeted the group's leadership in a bid to crush the rebels' decades-old separatist war.

Soldiers have driven deep into rebel territory in recent months and pushed the front lines back from three to 20 kilometers (two to 12 miles) in different areas, according to the military.

Intense fighting had already flared further earlier this month when the government announced it was pulling out of a 2002 cease-fire, which had long been ignored by both sides.

More than 700 people have been killed since the cease-fire officially ended, according to the military.

The Tamil Tigers have been fighting since 1983 for an independent state in the north and east for the country's ethnic Tamil minority after decades of being marginalized by Sinhalese-dominated governments. The fighting has killed more than 70,000 people.Discuss this story Published: Tue Jan 29 07:42:36 EST 2008

Recruitment of children in armed conflicts was happening mainly in African and Asian countries, ranging from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda to Myanmar and Sri Lanka, he said in the report.

Those responsible were rebel groups but included government forces in countries like Chad, Somalia and Sudan, Mr Ban said. Some were guilty of killing and sexually abusing children. More... Discuss this story Published: Tue Jan 29 21:22:58 EST 2008