Military officials said at least one soldier was killed and 18 hospitalised after being hit by mortar bombs at Sampur, the town security forces wrested from rebel control on Monday after a week-long battle.

A military officer said troops were digging in and establishing new defences in the region.

The Sampur offensive was aimed at neutralising Tiger artillery guns that last month hit naval and air ports in Trincomalee, where security has been stepped up.

Security forces moved cautiously around Sampur to inspect buildings and bunkers used by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to mount attacks on Trincomalee harbour, one of the world's largest natural ports.

The port houses military facilities, the premises of an Indian oil company, a Singaporean flour mill and a Japanese cement plant. It was a staging post for Allied troops in World War II.

"There are some bunkers and fortified positions of the Tigers which have not been cleared yet," a military official said.

Defence ministry spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters in Colombo that troops were firmly in control of Sampur and a process of "consolidation" was under way.

"Sampur is under the full control of the security forces," Rambukwella said. "We are consolidating our gains in the area."

He said the offensive was aimed at securing commercial interests in Trincomalee and ensuring the safety of military installations.