Sri Lankan police commandos have killed at least 15 Tamil Tiger rebels in the island's east while the guerrillas blew up three constables elsewhere in the embattled region.

Police Special Task Force commandos repulsed an attack against their Pullumalai base on Saturday morning and inflicted heavy losses on the guerrillas, an STF official said.

Bodies of 11 Tigers, along with 11 AK-47 assault rifles have been recovered, he said, adding that intercepts of rebel radio communication indicated they carried with them the bodies of four dead Tigers and two wounded. Two STF commandos were wounded when mortar bomb shrapnel hit them, the official said.

Meanwhile, three constables were killed in the northern district of Vavuniya when their patrol was hit by a Claymore mine, police said.

The bloodshed continues amid renewed efforts by peace broker Norway to arrange peace talks early next month in Oslo between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers.