37 killed, 93 wounded in Jaffna fighting

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 August 2006, 12:46 GMT]
25 Sri Lankan troopers, including 3 officers, were killed and 70 wounded during the past 24 hours in fighting in the Jaffna peninsula, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Brigadier Ajith Jayawardene, the acting defence spokesman who briefed media in Colombo Saturday. Meanwhile LTTE sources in Kilinochchi said 12 LTTE cadres were killed and 23 were wounded in the clashes.

Sri Lankan Minister and Military Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwela presided the press conference held at Gamotaya Center in Kolpitty, Colombo.

84 Sri Lankan troopers, including policemen and homeguards, have been killed since 01 August till Saturday and 226 were wounded, the Sri Lanka officials said.

At least 51 civilians were also killed, according to Brigadier Jayawardene.

The Brigadier insisted the LTTE had suffered “heavy losses” and estimated more than one hundred Tigers had been killed.

The LTTE’s military spokeman, I. Ilanthirayan, said 12 LTTE cadres had been killed and 23 wounded in the past day of fighting.

He said the LTTE operations to disrupt Sri Lankan offensive against the Elephant Pass region were ongoing.

Meanwhile, military officials in Trincomalee said a Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) sailor was killed when LTTE artillery shells hit the base Saturday morning.

A civilian was killed and three Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) personnel were wounded when artillery shells exploded near the China Bay airbase’s runway, the sources said.