COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - Tamil Tiger rebels attacked two Sri Lankan army camps on Thursday, killing seven soldiers and wounding 11 others, the defense ministry said.

Six rebels were killed when soldiers at the seaside camps in northeastern Sri Lanka retaliated with help from navy forces, said defense ministry spokesman Brig. Sanath Karunaratne.

The rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are fighting to carve out a separate homeland for the Tamil minority in the north and east of the island nation. More than 64,000 people have died in the 18-year conflict.

On Wednesday, rebels set off a land mine under a passenger bus in the town of Trincomalee, also in the northeast, wounding at least 12 people, the military said.

On Tuesday, police said rebels raided a police camp in Ampara, 90 miles south of Trincomalee, killing 16 officers and two civilians and wounding 18 people