At least 55 Tamil rebels and 11 soldiers were killed in heavy fighting in Sri Lanka’s embattled north since March 6, a defense ministry spokesman said.

Seven soldiers were killed in clashes with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in northern regions of Mannar, Vavuniya, and Buttala Saturday, Udaya Nanayakkara said in a telephone interview from Colombo. “During yesterday’s assault we used Mi-24 helicopters. The purpose is to inflict maximum destruction to the LTTE rebels,” Mr. Nanayakkara said.

The LTTE, designated as a terrorist organization by America, the European Union, and India, is fighting for a separate homeland in the South Asian island nation. The rebels have been driven back to bases in the north since the capture of the eastern region by government soldiers in July. The insurgency has killed more than 70,000 people in the past 25 years.

In Welioya, at least 12 rebels were killed in gun battles with Sri Lankan troops on March 6, Mr. Nanayakkara said. Four soldiers were killed and five other injured in the firefight, the Media Centre for National Security said in a statement posted on its Web site. Ten other rebels were killed in gun battles in Mannar region yesterday, the ministry said. Thirty-three rebels died in separate clashes with the soldiers since March 6, it said.

The Sri Lankan soldiers were firing “multi-barrel rocket launcher shells from artillery launch pads” from three places in Mannar area, the pro-rebel Tamilnet.com reported. “Heavy clashes were continuing in Parappaangkandal area which Sri Lankan army claimed to have captured from the Tigers.”