Six troopers killed in kodikamam

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers announced in the Vanni yesterday that one of their commando units had attacked a mini SLA camp in Kattaiaaru near Kodikamam in Jaffna killing six troopers,including a female soldier, and capturing weapons yesterday around 2.30 p.m.

The attack, according to the LTTE, had lasted only five minutes. Two Tigers were killed in the yesterday's attack which had been carried out in memory of the LTTE's Chavakachcheri leader Aananthan, the Tigers said.

The following weapons, according to the LTTE, were captured from the SLA.

AK Light Machine Gun (LMG) -1

Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG)- 1

T56/2-3

T56 with stock-1

Ammunition-250

Meanwhile the Sri Lankan army headquarters at Palay in Jaffna issued a communique which stated that the Liberation Tigers had come in a tractor towards the SLA check post in Varani and had attacked it killing two soldiers.

The Palay communique said that two Liberation Tigers were killed in the fighting.

It states that the LTTE had fired mortars on SLA reinforcements which rushed to the area soon after the attack. According to the Palaly communique, one LMG, one RPG, four rifles and twelve grenades belonging to the soldiers at the Varani post have been reported missing in the attack.

It said that the army had successfully beaten back the LTTE's assault.

A woman -a civilian- was killed in the crossfire.