Colombo  Tamil rebels used two light aircraft to drop three bombs in a military-controlled area in north-eastern Sri Lanka, but caused no damage was caused, a military spokesman said Sunday.

The aerial attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Welioya, 320 kilometres north east of the capital, military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said.

The two planes came from the direction of Mullaitivu, a rebel stronghold north of the target area, and dropped the three bombs before returning in the same direction.

Air force spokesman Andrew Wijesooriya said that two aircraft had been observed on the radar and that a jet had been despatched to intercept them, but both managed to escape.

The last time Tamil rebels used aerial power was in the October 21 attack on the Anuradhapura air force base October 21 last year. Rebels also used their cadres to infiltrate the base and carry out the attack in which 13 security personnel and 22 rebels were killed and nine other air crafts were completely damaged.

Sunday's rebel attack came after the military said it lost 76 soldiers and killed over 100 rebels, but other sources say over 150 soldiers were killed. In another clash on Friday suspected Tamil rebels set off a bus bomb on the outskirts of Colombo, killing 26 passengers and injuring more than 70. (dpa)