Two SLA officers killed

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two SLA officers were killed and twelve soldiers were wounded when the tractor they were traveling in at Ottarayankulam, south west of Mankulam was hit by mortar shells fired by the Liberation Tigers yesterday.

One of the dead officers was identified as Maj. Yoonus, son of a well known Sri Lankan cartoonist.

This is the third attack by the Liberation Tigers for the month in the areas of the Vanni captured by the SLA's ten month long Operation Jayasikurui.

Army top brass have expressed concern that such attacks in the rear areas of Operation Jayasikurui can create logistical problems as these can limit the mobility of the government troops between the SLA's forward positions and the fully consolidated areas south of Omanthai.

Government troops are still holed up in their positions to the east, west and south of Mankulam.

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