Tigers shell Batticaloa SLA

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 August 1998, 22:54 GMT]
Accurate artillery shelling by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) hit the Sri Lankan Army's 233 Brigade Headquarters at Batticaloa and the Batticaloa airbase at around 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, said informed sources in Europe when contacted by TamilNet tonight.

The shelling caused mild panic and led to an early and unscheduled closure of Sri Lanka Government and local government offices such as the Kachcheri (district administrative office), the Munmunai Divisional Secretary's office and the Batticaloa Municipal Council (BMC), which are all situated within the military complex, said the sources.

Alerts were issued to government offices close to the perimeter of the military complex also, asking officials to evacuate the buildings. But the shelling ceased soon after the warnings were issued, said sources.