"I guess I'm popular," said a slightly surprised Rathana, 45, rubbing his shaved head. "I knew our Sri Lankan people love monks. But I didn't know they loved the 'Parliament Monk.' "

Rathana is a celebrated figure in this predominantly Buddhist nation, where monks are cherished for their spiritual guidance. But he is known for more than just his religious leadership. Dubbed the Parliament Monk and the War Monk by the Sri Lankan press, he is a legislator who has pushed for the use of military force to end this island nation's 25-year civil war, which has left 70,000 dead and displaced nearly a half-million people at its height.

"Am I an extremist? Sometimes I am. Sometimes I am not," Rathana said over green tea, when asked about reports from foreign human rights groups that accuse his party of hindering peace talks. "The point is that we need to end this war. And we are forced into a military solution." More...Discuss this story Published: Tue Mar 25 21:21:07 EDT 2008

Fighter jets pounded a rebel camp believed to be used to store military equipment in the rebel-held Mullaitivu district Tuesday morning, said air force spokesman Wing Commander Andy Wijesuriya.

He did not give details of damage and casualties, but said pilots have confirmed that they hit the target.

Meanwhile, ground fighting along the front lines of the civil war in the north has slowed in recent days because of heavy rains, officials said.

Battles in the Mannar district on the border of the Tamil Tigers' de facto state killed two rebels and one soldier Monday, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said. Fighting in the Jaffna peninsula killed one rebel, he said.

It was not possible to get independent accounts of the clashes because the war zone is restricted to journalists. Both the government and the rebels often exaggerate their enemy's casualties and underreport their own.

Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be reached for comment.

The Tamil Tigers have fought since 1983 to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils who have been marginalized for decades by successive governments run by majority ethnic Sinhalese. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the violence. Published: Tue Mar 25 09:12:34 EDT 2008

It comes days after officials said a navy fast-attack craft was sunk by a sea mine. The rebels claimed it was sunk by a suicide attack.

Meanwhile, fighting is continuing on land too.

Battles have intensified since January when the government pulled out of a ceasefire. It has vowed to crush the rebels by force.

The latest sea confrontation took place in the middle of the night.

A navy patrol spotted a small flotilla of Tamil Tiger boats hugging the coast and opened fire.

Navy spokesman Lt Cdr Rohan Joseph said one rebel vessel was disabled in the fighting but he had no details on whether anyone on board was wounded or killed. More... Published: Tue Mar 25 17:39:22 EDT 2008