Sri Lanka rebels break through northern defences

JAFFNA, Sri Lanka, Aug 12 (Reuters) Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels broke through military defences in the island's far north and overran army bunkers today, truce monitors said, as the fiercest fighting since a 2002 truce spread.

The Tigers and army exchanged intense artillery fire and government jets bombed near the rebels' forward defence lines in the northern Jaffna peninsula, residents said, as thousands of civilians fled to churches.

The military said 27 of its personnel were killed and 80 wounded, and estimated it had killed more than 150 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. It said it sank five Sea Tiger boats as they attacked army posts on the shore in Jaffna.

''The LTTE is definitely pushing the country to war,'' Defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told a news conference.

Analysts said they suspected the Tigers were trying to divert pressure from their fighters battling in the east and disrupt military supply lines to the north.

The unarmed Nordic Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) said the Tigers had overrun five bunkers inside army lines, and had landed troops on an island west of Jaffna and engaged the navy.

About 40,000 troops are stationed in Jaffna, which is cut off from the rest of the island by rebel territory.

''What we are seeing now I am interpreting as an attempt to cut off the line of the security forces in Jaffna,'' said chief truce monitor Major-General Ulf Henricsson.

''The ceasefire agreement is definitely not on just now in these areas. There is no respect at all, they just don't care about it -- both parties.'' As civilians from coastal villages sought refuge, foreigners headed to a UN compound after being warned to leave immediately.

MORE REUTERS DKA RAI2228