COLOMBO , Sri Lanka ( CNN ) -- More than 100 Sri Lankan soldiers were killed and another 400 wounded Wednesday when troops attempted to advance toward a stronghold of the Tamil Tigers rebel organization , highly placed army sources told CNN . Sri Lankan soldiers patrol the frontline on the Jaffna peninsula , the scene of fierce fighting . The incident happened before dawn , when troops manning a defense line in the northern Sri Lanka village of Muhamalai attempted to advance toward the rebel stronghold of Kilinochchi in the northern Wanni region , the sources said . The village is on a thin isthmus linking mainland Sri Lanka to the Jaffna peninsula . A defense line bordered by the Kilaly Lagoon on the west and the Indian Ocean on the east divides the rebel-controlled area from those held by the government 's security forces . Troops made an attempt to open a third front in the Wanni region by advancing south , Army officials said . Their ultimate aim was to reach Kilinochchi -- the power center of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil , better known as the Tamil Tigers . `` The rebels feigned they had withdrawn from their first line of defenses in well-dug-out trenches , '' one official said . `` After the troops backed by battle tanks reached the area , the rebels sprung a fierce attack . '' The incident deals a setback to military efforts to weaken the Tamil Tigers . Government leaders and military commanders vowed early this year to `` eliminate '' the rebels by the end of the year , but later extended the deadline into 2009 . Until Wednesday , the heavy fighting had remained focused in the western coastal town of Mannar and the northeastern coastal area of Weli Oya . Local and foreign media are barred from visiting battlegrounds , except on conducted tours , and casualty counts from the military and the rebels are often exaggerated . Initial information on the Wednesday incident came from the Media Centre for National Security , the only government agency disseminating information on the separatist war . In its latest update , it says 43 soldiers and more than 100 rebels have been killed , while 120 soldiers are injured and 33 are missing . Independent verification of claims made by the center is often difficult . The army sources also told CNN that at least 30 soldiers were reported missing in action . Rebel sources reported some soldiers remained lying on the battleground , but did not divulge a number . Some of the injured were flown to Colombo hospitals . Officials appealed to the public on radio and television to donate blood . E-mail to a friend .
Tamil rebels and government troops wage fierce battle along border . Army : Senior army sources say 100 soldiers killed ; 400 wounded . NEW : Tamil Tiger rebels feigned retreat then attacked , sources told CNN . Government leaders have vowed to ` ` eliminate '' rebels by 2009 .