Casualties mount in Kilinochchi battle

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 September 1998, 16:09 GMT]
The Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio said today that 23 Liberation Tigers have been killed so far in the fighting at Paranthan and Kilinochchi. It said that LTTE had delivered a major blow to the main base in Kilinochchi and that fighting is raging in the area.

According to the VoT, a large number of satellite camps and defence positions have been overrun in Kilinochchi.

It said that the fighting continues for the second day to regain the area that the SLA captured in Kilinochchi and Paranthan in Operation Sath Jaya in 1996.

Meanwhile, a press communiqué issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) this afternoon states:

"Further to the press release on 27 September 98 at 12.45 p.m., confrontation have continued (sic) during the clearing operation in Paranthan and Kilinochchi areas. LTTE has confirmed 194 of their cadres killed. A total of 43 soldiers were killed and 110 wounded during these confrontations. Sporadic confrontations are being reported at present."

Independent reports from the north this afternoon said at least 148 soldiers may have been killed in the fierce fighting. Many bodies of SLA troops are yet to be recovered they said.

Reports of the fighting could not be independently verified as the Sri Lankan government has banned reporters from entering the warzone. Furthermore, the Sri Lankan authorities have imposed strict censorship on the reporting of military news earlier this year.