Unceasing Waves III resumes - LTTE

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 March 2000, 10:18 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army suffered heavy casualties when the Liberation Tigers launched a "massive" sea and land assault in the Jaffna peninsula last night, the LTTE said in a press release from its London offices today. LTTE forces had overrun the SLA artillery base at Pallai destroying eleven artillery pieces and cutting the A9 supply route to the SLA bases at Elephant Pass and Yakachchi, the press release said. The SLA base at Yakachchi had been penetrated and fierce fighting was raging, it added.

The full text of the press release follows:

"Sri Lanka troops suffered heavy casualties as the combat formations of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) launched a massive sea borne and land assault simultaneously on Sri Lankan army bases at Thalaiyadi, Chempionpattu, Maruthankerni along the eastern coast belt of Vadamarachi and at Pallai and Yakachchi closer to Elephant Pass complex."

"The LTTE's offensive campaign code-named "Unceasing Waves 3" erupted last night around 9pm and continues with deadly ferocity in these sectors. Special commando units of the LTTE broke through the army defense lines at Pallai and cutoff the A9 highway (Kandy Road) terminating the land supply route to Yakachchi and Elephant Pass bases. These two strategic bases guarding the gateway to Jaffna are now fully surrounded by LTTE forces."

"In another development special commando units of the LTTE stormed the military garrison at Pallai and destroyed the main artillery base and ammunition dump. Eleven heavy artillery pieces were destroyed by explosives."

"According to the latest reports LTTE combat units have penetrated through the Sri Lanka army's defence lines at Yakachchi military base. Heavy fighting continues at Yakachchi as the LTTE fighters are pounding the camp with artillery and mortar fire."

"On the coastal belt the Tiger units smashed the army defence lines and are advancing towards Thalaiyadi."

"The sudden and spontaneous assault by the LTTE's combat formations on several garrisons and bases at the gateway to Jaffna has taken the army by surprise and there was confusion and disarray last night in certain sectors. The LTTE field commanders confirm that the army has suffered heavy casualties and is struggling to remove hundreds of injured soldiers by military helicopters."