28 December, 2008 - Published 13:42 GMT

Hospital 'functioning' after shelling

The government hospital that was damaged in shell attacks on Christmas day evening is functioning once again, authorities said.

Dr T Sathiyamoorthy, Regional Director of Health Services, Kilinochchi, told the BBC that the consultation room s in outpatients’ department was badly damaged in the attack.

“The shell fell by the side of main building complex. The big explosive sound was dreadful and many window glasses were broken,” he said.

The government official, however, expressed relief that no one sustained injuries in the attack.

Fighting continued

Government forces and the LTTE both fire artillery shells as heavy fighting continue between the parties.

Meanwhile, there has been heavier fighting between Sri Lankan government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels in the north of the country.

Pro-rebel Tamilnet website said the rebels beat back an army attack in the district of Mullaitivu, killing more than sixty troops.

Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara told the BBC that the army had lost only nine soldiers, and inflicted heavy casualties on the guerrillas.

There have been no independent reports from the frontline and it's impossible to verify either side's account.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan navy said it had sunk a Tamil Tiger supply boat off the northern coast, killing at least four rebels.