Over 12 Tamil Tiger rebels were killed and three soldiers injured in separate gun battles triggered by the Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam's attempts to breach the de facto front line in northern Sri Lanka [Images], the military said in Colombo on Wednesday.

"At least 10 Tiger militants, who have clearly been identified by the troops, were shot and killed in the fight at Wanni in north when the LTTE desperately tried to breach the security lines in Eluththumaduwal on Tuesday," the army said in a statement, adding their attempts were thwarted.

The army also claimed to have killed two LTTE rebels and injured several others near the front line in Mannar in north-western Sri Lanka. Three soldiers were injured in the clashes.

In Vavuniya in northern Sri Lanka, troops operating in Pokkaravani area  recovered 175 anti-personnel mines planted by the Tiger rebels on Tuesday, the Defence Ministry said.

Meanwhile, the defence ministry also claimed that the toll in its air attack at an LTTE function in northern Sri Lanka on September 25 had gone up substantially. "A coordinated air and artillery strike on an LTTE base at Pooneryn on September 25 is believed to have killed at least 69 LTTTE cadres," it said.