COLOMBO, March 26 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka's Tamil Tigers said on Monday they bombed an air force base next to Sri Lanka's international airport north of Colombo from light aircraft before dawn, and warned more air raids would follow.

"A couple of aircraft of Tamil Eelam Air Force have launched an attack on a Sri Lankan military airfield and hangars of military aircraft," rebel military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan said by telephone from the Tigers' northern base.

"It is not only preemptive, it is a measure to protect Tamil civilians from the genocidal aerial bombardments by Sri Lankan armed forces," he added. "More attacks of the same nature will follow."

The military said two airmen were killed in the attack and 17 wounded, but said the civilian airport itself 23 miles (37 km) north of the capital Colombo was not damaged.

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