SLA Pooneryn thrust repulsed -VoT

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 June 1999, 07:47 GMT]
At least 25 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and several others wounded when the Liberation Tigers attacked advancing SLA troops in the Pooneryn area with heavy weapons yesterday, forcing them to retreat to their original positions, the Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio said today.

The VoT said that the LTTE intercepted SLA troops advancing towards Pooneryn from Kattunallur and Paranthan, and forced them to retreat after heavy fighting.

Nine LTTE fighters were killed in the fighting at Pooneryn, the radio said.

SLA troops had also been ferried to Kattunallu by boats from Mandaithivu, the radio added.

A Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopter was also damaged in the fighting, the radio said.

The VoT said the Tigers had used tank fire in the defence of their positions.

Arms and ammunition were captured from the SLA, it added.

The radio gave names of the Tigers killed as Captain Iniyaval, 2nd Lt.Amkusaa, Naavini, Senmathi, Kamala, Vengaiyarasi, Kannan and Meiyappan

The Sri Lankan military launched a combined air, sea and land operation to capture the Pooneryn area the radio said.

SLA officials in Jaffna said last night that the operation which was launched in the Pooneryn area was limited and ha concluded.

Troops had returned to their bases late in the evening they added.

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