COLOMBO, December 22, SPA -- Sri Lankan fighter jets attackeda rebel boat off the coast and pounded other rebel targetsMonday in support of a ground offensive aimed at crushingthe Tamil Tigers, the military said, according to Associated Press. The airstrikes followed weeks of fierce ground fighting inthe region, with the rebels saying Sunday they had killed60 government troops the day before. The military deniedthe claim, saying it lost 12 soldiers in the fighting. Either way, with seasonal monsoons hampering newoffensives, the military appears to be relying increasinglyon its air power to keep the pressure on the rebels and aidtroops on the ground. In the latest attacks Monday, air force jets hit an attackcraft used by the Tamil Tiger naval wing off the country'seast coast, the military said. Fighter jets also attackedrebel targets in the Mullaittivu and Kilinochchi districtsin support of ground troops.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/618423