SLA offensive in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 December 2000, 13:52 GMT]
Sri Lankan Government troops launched a fresh offensive Saturday morning and have taken control of Navatkuly bridge, about 3 km. east of Jaffna town, army sources said. TamilNet sources in Jaffna said there were no signs of heavy fighting in the area, except sounds of shelling.

Details of casualties were not immediately known. The Liberation Tigers have not commented on today's fighting.

This is the first offensive launched by the Sri Lanka Army after the Liberation Tigers declared a unilateral, month-long cease-fire "as a goodwill measure to facilitate the peace process" with effect from midnight 24 December.

The Sri Lankan Government rejected the LTTE's cease-fire offer, asserting that military operations by the armed forces will continue.

The Government troops launched a similar offensive on 21 December, a day after the Tigers announced the cease-fire and captured Kaithady area, east of Navatkuly.