2ND LEAD

SLMM visits ambush site in LTTE controlled Pullumalai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 September 2006, 12:18 GMT]
Eleven cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were killed in an ambush carried out by the counter-insurgency Special Task Force (STF) personnel inside LTTE territory in Pullumalai in Batticaloa district around 5:30 a.m. Saturday, LTTE Military Spokesman Irasiah Ilanthirayan said. The bodies of the cadres killed in the STF attack were transferred in military vehicles into STF controlled area, he said charging the Sri Lankan forces for engaging in offensive attacks inside Tiger territory when the LTTE had informed to the facilitators that it ceased all retaliatory attacks following the call by the Co-Chairs to cease all violence.

LTTE's Deputy Political Head in Batticaloa District, S. Seeralan and Head of LTTE's Administrative Section in Batticala Mr. Manoj accompanied the SLMM officials of Batticaloa district to the attack site.

The ambush had taken place 1 km inside the LTTE controlled area.

The STF has claimed that 12 LTTE cadres were killed and said that the Tigers had launched an attack 2 km iinside STF territory.

The military spokesman of the Tigers said that the STF troopers managed to transfer the bodies from the LTTE territory into STF area before Tiger reinforcements arrived at the site.

Truce monitors visited Saturday evening the site of the attack inside the LTTE controlled area where they inspected the traces of the attack and the tracks of Buffel Armoured Personal Carrier of the STF, Mr. Ilanthirayan further said.

Artillery attacks were also launched from STF camps towards the Tiger territory near the FDL after the attack, Ilanthirayan said.

Pullumalai is located 32 km southwest of Batticaloa along Batticaloa Badulla Road.