Colombo, August 14 :

Fighting in Sri Lanka’s north and east and a bombing in the capital left at least 50 people dead today, including 43 schoolgirls killed in what the Tamil Tigers charged was a government air raid on a children’s home in rebel territory.

The government denied attacking a children’s home, instead insisting it was a rebel base and blaming the insurgents for the bombing in Colombo.

The clashes along the frontiers dividing government and rebel territory in the north and east, and the blast in Colombo appeared to dash what little hope was left for a quick end to fighting that has steadily worsened over the past four weeks, undermining an already shaky cease-fire.

In fighting today, Sri Lankan air force jets bombed the northeastern Mullaitivu district, deep inside rebel territory, hitting a children’s home and killing 43 schoolgirls who were there taking a first aid course, the pro-rebel TamilNet Web site reported.

Another 60 girls were wounded in the morning air raid on the home, TamilNet said, citing officials from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, as the rebels are formally known.

But Air Force spokesman Group Capt. Ajantha Silva said, “we have proof that this place is an LTTE base.” Hours later in Colombo, an auto rickshaw packed with explosives blew up as a car carrying Pakistan’s high commissioner, Basir Ali Mohmand, as it passed along a crowded road. At least seven people were killed, including four army commandoes guarding the envoy, said defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella. Another 10 people were wounded.

But the diplomat, who was believed to be the target of the blast, escaped unhurt, he said, blaming the Tigers for the attack. Pakistan is a major supplier of arms to Sri Lanka’s military.

Tamil Tiger officials were not immediately available to comment, although in recent months they have often kept quiet after such attacks, neither confirming nor denying involvement. Pakistani officials said it was the first attack on any of their diplomats in Sri Lanka.

A day earlier, at least 15 people died in fighting around the St.

Philip Neri Church in Allaiiddy, a predominantly Tamil village located on an island just west of the Jaffna Peninsula. The island, like the peninsula, is held by the government.

TamilNet said the dead were civilians killed when government artillery and rocket fire hit the church, where they were sheltering. While TamilNet stopped short of saying government forces intentionally targeted the church, it alleged that no help was sent to the wounded for hours after the attack.

But the military countered that guerrillas in the church fired on troops as they tried to enter the building, and that the civilians were killed in the fighting.