SLA suffers heavy losses in Kilinochchi - VoT

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 September 1998, 03:36 GMT]
In the operation code named 'Oyaatha Alaikal-2' (Unceasing Waves-2) the LTTE brought the Kilinochchi region under their full control last evening. The Voice of Tigers (VoT) said this morning that 240 Tigers were killed in this operation.

Defense lines and bunkers 15km long were destroyed and three large army bases, including the Brigade Head Quarters, were completely destroyed. 15 satellite camps in the area were also destroyed, said the radio.

VoT said that a large number of bodies of SLA soldiers killed in the attack are strewn all over the northern part of Kilinochchi. The LTTE is currently engaged in gathering all these bodies which they will be handing over to the army through the ICRC once all the bodies are collected.

A massive quantity of weapons and vehicles have been captured by the LTTE in this operation, said the radio. Civilians flocked to the area to assist the LTTE to remove the captured material.

The people have donated blood and are helping the LTTE to look after the wounded. The Liberation Tigers who took part in the operation were welcomed with soft drinks and coconut water by the people who gathered in large numbers in the area.

The artillery positions and the armories of the SLA in Elephant Pass and Iyakachchi bases were destroyed by the LTTE, the radio said.

The SLA captured the Kilinochchi-Paranthan area after fighting for more than a month in 1996 and losing more than 600 soldiers. The LTTE recaptured part of the town in February 1998.

The VoT has so far released the names of 83 of the 240 Liberation Tigers who were killed in the 'Oyaatha-Alaikal-2.'

Meanwhile, informed sources estimated that there were more than 3000 soldiers in the SLA base complex. Analysts in Colombo said, 'Oyaatha-Alaikal-2' was much larger in scale than the Mullaitivu attack in 1996.

They further said that the defense lines of the Mullaitivu base was 5km long whereas the base complex overrun by the LTTE yesterday had a forward defense line 15km long.