Colombo, Apr 8: At least 37 Tamil Tigers were killed in fierce clashes between the rebels and security forces in embattled northern Sri Lanka, where Air Force fighter jets destroyed a suspected LTTE suicide bomber training base.

Fighter planes bombed a LTTE 'Black Tiger' base in rebel stronghold of Mankulam in north-eastern Sri Lanka on Monday morning, an Air Force spokesman said in Colombo adding, the pilots confirmed that the target was ''achieved accurately''.

The airstrike came a day after a powerful Sri Lankan Minister was assassinated by suspected LTTE rebels in a suicide attack on a marathon opening that also killed a formerOlympian and 12 others while injuring nearly 100.

MI-24 helicopter gunships also conducted air attack targeting LTTE bunker defences near Muhamalai in Jaffna peninsula. Defence personnel recovered bodies of two LTTE rebels after a clash in Andankulam in north-eastern Welioya and handed them over to International Red Cross Committee on Monday, the military said.

At least seven Tigers were killed in separate clashes in Welioya on Sunday, while seven other rebels were gunned down in Mannar, the government's Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.