Colombo - Government troops destroyed at least two enemy boats off the country's north-eastern coast on Monday, thwarting an attempt by Tamil rebels to launch a counter-offensive, a military spokesman said.

The boats had been sent in as part of an attempt to attack troops stationed in an area north of Pthumathalan, 395 kilometres north-east of the capital, when the ground troops stationed in the coastal area fired and destroyed them.

Colombo- Police Thursday made a controversial arrest of a newspaper editor in Sri Lanka, raising protests from journalists and media rights activists who say the arrest amounted to an abduction.

Three policemen in uniform and two in civilian clothing grabbed N Vidyatharan, the chief editor of the Tamil language Sudaroli newspaper from a funeral parlor in Mount Lavinia, 12 kilometres south of Colombo, where he was attending the funeral of a relative.

Police had failed to identify themselves, relatives said, and initial reports spoke of an abduction.

Colombo  - Government troops advancing into the final stronghold of Tamil separatist rebels have found a suicide bomb-making plant in northern Sri Lanka, the Defence Ministry said Thursday.

The plant, located in Pudukudirippu, 385 kilometres north-east of Colombo, was also reported to manufacture claymore mines, improvised explosive devices and anti-personnel mines, the ministry said.

Government troops entered the area amid heavy resistance from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels, the army said.

Colombo  - SLankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa will launch a national campaign against the recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, the president's office said Wednesday.

The campaign will be launched on Thursday under which child soldiers will also be rehabilitated with the assistance of local and foreign organizations, the office statement said.

Colombo  - Government troops entered the last rebel-held town in northern Sri Lanka after heavy clashes overnight, military officials said Tuesday.

Troops entered Pudukudirippu, 385 kilometres north-east of the capital and were consolidating positions Tuesday morning, the army said.

It said Tamil rebels sustained heavy casualties in combat Monday and lost a large amount of weapons in the area.

Colombo  - The death toll in a massacre of villagers by Tamil rebels in eastern Sri Lanka increased to 21 as the army and police stepped up security in the area, military officials said Sunday.

The military had reported late Saturday that eight civilians were killed in the attack, but a subsequent search overnight revealed that 21 persons including women and children were killed, they said.

Another 20 villagers were left wounded in the attack on Kirimetiya village in Inginiyagala district. Many of the villagers were belonged to the majority Sinhala community.