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LTTE rebels fired 120 mm mortar bombs at the Pahala Toppur army base in the northeastern district of Trincomalee in a bid to overrun the camp, officials said.
Defence ministry spokesman Sanath Karunaratne said security forces beat back the pre-dawn rebel assault by killing at least six guerrillas. Three soldiers were also killed and 20 of them wounded.
"Troop reinforcements were able to repulse the attack and take back a bunker line that the terrorists occupied briefly," Karunaratne said.
Security forces captured four automatic rifles used by the attackers.
In a simultaneous attack, LTTE struck Valachenai police station in the adjoining Batticaloa district. Six constables and a civilian employee of a nearby telecommunications exchange, which was destroyed, were killed.
Another 11 were wounded in the attack against the police, when the guerrillas set fire to the police station.
The twin attacks came even as a new government headed by the United National Party of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was preparing to be sworn-in.
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