At least seven Sri Lankan Navy personnel were injured in a clash between the Navy and Tamil Tiger rebels at the Delft island near the northern Jaffna peninsula early Thursday, defense officials said.

A group of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels who came by about 15 boats began to attack a naval installation at the Delft island around 1:30 AM (20:00 GMT) and the Navy retaliated, according to the officials.

At least one LTTE boat was destroyed and seven sailors were injured in the battle, said officials from the Media Center for National Security, adding that seven sailors are still missing.

"The LTTE unsuccessfully attempted to infiltrate the Delft island by mounting an attack by sea and on land on the southern tip of the island," said the Navy in statement.

The Navy said the LTTE cadres had come in 12 sea tiger boats assisted by two to three suicide boats.

A search operation is being conducted to clear the area and confrontations at sea are still continuing, said the Navy.

Reinforcements are being sent to the location in order to prevent further attack attempts by the LTTE.

"Heavy clashes are continuing between the Navy and the LTTE both at sea and land. The Navy has called for Air Force assistance as well," a defense official said in Colombo.
 
The Jaffna peninsula is under government control after the LTTE lost the minority Tamils's cultural capital Jaffna to the military in 1995.

Clashes between government troops and LTTE rebels are now an almost daily occurrence in the island country's north and east.

About 5,000 troops, rebels and civilians have been killed since December 2005 despite the Norwegian-arranged truce in place.

Claiming discrimination at the hands of the majority ethnic Sinhalese-dominated government, the LTTE has been fighting for an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's 12.5 percent Tamil minority since the 1970s.

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2007)