2ND LEAD

LTTE thwarts offensive in Northern Front

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 April 2008, 07:46 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) units that attempted to break the Forward Defence Line of the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) in Ki'laali, Mukamaalai and on several other positions were forced to retreat, leaving behind dead bodies of their troopers, according to LTTE's Northern Forces Operations Command. Heavy fighting lasted till 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The SLA has suffered heavy casualties as the Tigers put up stiff resistance.

Special Commando units of the Tigers were also engaged to confront the SLA units that attempted to advance using Main Battle Tanks amid heavy Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL), artillery and mortar fire, the Tigers said.

Casualty details would be released after the ongoing clearing mission is completed, the Tigers said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakara in Colombo said 15 SLA soldiers were killed and 74 wounded. He attributed a higher casualty on LTTE side, claiming that 52 Tigers were killed and that the SLA had advanced into LTTE territory, but said the offensive was launched by the Tigers and not the SLA.

According to the LTTE, it was a major push launched by the SLA to break into their territory and the SLA operation, launched around 3:30 a.m. along the Northern Front FDL was fully thwarted at 12:30 p.m.

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