LTTE, SLA clash in Jaffna lagoon

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 February 2008, 05:29 GMT]
A clash between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) erupted Tuesday around 7:45 a.m. in Jaffna lagoon near Kozhumpuththu'rai when SLA troops in their Forward Defence Line positions along the lagoon shore attacked Sea Tiger patrol boats, sources in Jaffna said. LTTE retaliated from their vessels and the fighting lasted for nearly fifteen minutes, the sources said.

The SLA, from its artillery bases in Jaffna peninsula, launched rocket fire towards LTTE held Poonakari, across Jaffna lagoon, according to the sources.

Fishermen fishing in the area rushed back to the shore and tension prevailed in Kozhumpuththu'rai.

Normalcy returned to the peninsula when the shelling stopped after thirty minutes, the sources added.