Oddusuddan overrun - LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 1999, 12:10 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers overran defences of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and captured Oddusuddan town this morning, the LTTE said in a statement from their London offices today.

The text of the statement follows:

"Hundreds of Sri Lankan troops have been killed and several hundreds injured as the fighting units of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) overran the Sri Lankan military complex at Oddusuddan this morning and took control of the strategically important town and its surrounding areas situated along the Mankulam-Mullaitivu highway.

"Well armed LTTE fighting formations, with the support of heavy artillery and mortar fire, launched a major offensive operation against the well entrenched Sri Lankan military complex at Oddusuddan in the early hours of the morning today. After several hours of fierce fighting the LTTE fighters overran the army camps and took control of the town.

"In the heavy fighting that lasted for nine hours, LTTE fighting formations have inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy forces and captured a huge haul of arms and several military vehicles. Hundreds of dead bodies of soldiers are scattered all over the jungle areas. LTTE fighters are still pursuing hundreds of soldiers who ran into the dense jungle in total disarray. The Tamil Tigers are now engaged in clearing the surrounding areas of Oddusuddan. Details of casualties on our side will be announced tomorrow.

"Arrangements are being made to handover the dead bodies of Sri Lankan soldiers to the ICRC."