Tigers repulse SLA in North, SLA targets Maangku'lam

[TamilNet, Monday, 17 November 2008, 12:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched another offensive push for the third consecutive day from Jaffna Monday morning. 8 SLA soldiers were killed and 29 wounded when the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam (LTTE) put up stiff resistance from 5:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m., thwarting a three frontal attack by the SLA on LTTE Forward Defence Line (FDL) in Mukamaalai, Ka'ndal and Ki'laai, the Tigers said. Meanwhile, the SLA which claimed its forces entered Kumizhamunai near Naayaa'ru lagoon south of A'lampil in Mullaiththeevu district, on Monday said its forces from Vannivi'laangkulam were attempting to occupy Maangku'lam on A9.

The SLA attempt to advance, from Vannivi'laangku'lam towards Maangku'lam and in south of A'lampil towards Kumizhamunai, aims to cut off the access routes between Mullaiththeevu and Vavuniyaa, officials engaged in humanitarian mission said expressing concerns on food and medical supplies to the uprooted civilians of Vanni, now densely populated in LTTE controlled Northeastern territory of Vanni.

In the meantime, Sri Lankan military circles in Colombo anticipate heavy battles in the forthcoming weeks as the SLA was expected to step up the offensive operations and the LTTE to encapsulate its defensive region with stringent combat coordination of its Northern, Western and Southern defensive formations.

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