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The military in Sri Lanka said on Wednesday that fierce confrontations between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels occurred Tuesday in Puthukudiyiruppu, the last stronghold held by the rebels in the northern Mullaittivu district.

The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that "scores of LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eealm) cadres were killed and many wounded" in the fighting.

The statement said eight bodies of the LTTE cadres have been found in the search operation after the clashes.

Defense officials said the troops also sustained minor damages during the confrontations, without giving any details.

The military said the military offensive against the LTTE is entering its final stage as the rebels have been cornered in an area less than 80 sq km in Mullaittivu.

The government rejected a cease-fire call of the LTTE on Monday, saying the LTTE must lay down arms and surrender to the troops.

The United Nations and the United States have renewed their calls for an end to hostilities in Sri Lanka and asked concerned parties to find a political solution to the ethnic conflict.

The LTTE launched their armed campaign in the mid-1980s to set up a separate homeland for the minority Tamils in the north and east, resulting in the killing of more than 70,000 people.