Fierce fighting continues third day in Muttur

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 August 2006, 06:14 GMT]
Fierce fighting erupted between the Sri Lanka Army and LTTE fighters in Muttur town Thursday early morning following the deployment of hundreds of SLA troops from Trincomalee town. These troops were brought to Muttur by a landing craft of the Sri Lanka Navy Thursday early morning with air cover amid heavy artillery and mortar fire towards the LTTE territory in Muttur East, civil sources in Muttur said. Fierce fighting began after government troops landed at the Muttur jetty when large number of LTTE fighters in the Muttur started attacking the government troops with artillery and mortar preventing them from entering the town, the sources added.

Muttur, a predominantly Muslim town has become a ghost town and about nine thousand Muslim families have sought refuge in Muslim schools and other public places. Tamil families have sought refuge in two churches in the town.

World Vision, the only international non-governmental organization in Muttur has been engaged in supplying cooked meals and other assistance to refugees with the help of the Muttur Divisional Secretariat, sources in Muttur said.

All schools, government offices and business establishments in the Muttur town were shut down for the third day following the fight, sources said.