75 LTTE men, 33 Lankan soldiers killed

"Many attempts by the terrorists to advance towards the bridge have been repulsed by the troops. However, small groups of terrorists continued to occupy a small stretch of the main highway approximately one kilometre northwest of Navatkuli bridge," it said.

The army has so far succeeded in preventing all out attempts by the LTTE rebels to induct more armed cadre into the area, while reinforcements of the army sent to the areas were in the process of evicting small groups of rebels from the main highway, the release said.

"Although the terrorists are making desperate attempts to advance further, troops are determined and so far all such attempts have been repulsed," it added.