2ND LEAD

Heavy fighting in Muttur, 4 SLA soldiers killed in Mahindapura

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 August 2006, 01:29 GMT]
Four soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) were killed when LTTE cadres retaliated the attack from the Mahindapura and Selvanagar SLA camps located in the Serunuwara division, south of Trincomalee district in the early hours of Wednesday, sources said. Heavy fighting is also reported in the vicinity of SLA camps located at Kaddaiparichchan and Thoppur in the Muttur and Serunuwara divisions in the Trincomalee district between the SLA troops and LTTE cadres, both sides using artillery shells and mortar bombs, sources said.

Soldiers of the SLA camps located in Kaddaiparichchan, Thoppur, Selvanagar and Mahindapura late in the night of Tuesday started firing mortars and multi-barrel artillery shells indiscriminately into the villages held by the LTTE in the Muttur east and Eachchilampathu division in the district.

LTTE cadres retaliated with mortar bombs and artillery shells causing heavy damages to these camps, civil sources in the area said.

Since midnight Tuesday multi-barrel artillery shells are being fired from SLA and SLN camps located in the Trincomalee town towards the Muttur east and Eachchilampathu divisions, sources said.

Muttur Police Station also has come under attack from the LTTE, sources there said.

SLAF is also assisting the government by carrying out aerial attacks on the villages held by LTTE.

SLA camps located at Kaddaiparichchan, Selvanagar, and Thoppur are the gateways to Muttur east held by LTTE in Muttur division. Mahindapura SLA camp is located as the gateway to LTTE held Eachchilampathu division.