Sri Lanka jets bombs house visited by top rebel

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's air force jets Wednesday bombed a house in the northern jungles believed to be frequented by the leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels.

It was not clear what damages or casualties were caused by the raid on a house in Vattakachchi, a village in the rebel stronghold, said air force spokesman Wing Commander Janaka Nanayakkara.

The government has vowed to crush the rebel group and kill its reclusive leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Much of the communication to northern Sri Lanka has been cut, and it was not possible to contact rebel officials for comment.

Last November an air force raid killed S.P. Tamilselvan, who had been head of the rebels' political wing head and the public face of the group.

The military has since announced a few bombing runs that targeted Prabhakaran, but there has been no confirmation that the rebel leader has been affected.

Wednesday's air attack came a day after dozens of passengers narrowly escaped a bus bombing in the heart of Sri Lanka's capital because the conductor who saw a suspicious package had evacuated the people in time.

Four people received minor injuries from the blast which the government blamed on the rebels.

The government forces have stepped up their offensive against the Tamil Tigers in recent months and captured a series of rebel bases and rebel-held land.

The rebels have waged a 25-year war against the government to create an independent homeland for the country's ethnic minority Tamils.