SLA flies casualties to Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 December 1999, 18:22 GMT]
Sri Lankan security sources in Jaffna today told TamilNet that over 150 Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have been killed in the heavy fighting with the Liberation Tigers around the SLA base complex at Elephant Pass. The bodies of 60 SLA soldiers have been flown to Colombo the sources said.

Sources in the Colombo earlier said that several wounded SLA troops were airlifted to Katunayake and rushed to several hospitals in the city.

The Sri Lankan defence ministry has not issued casualty figures, but said over 200 LTTE fighters were killed when the attack on the base was repulsed.

However, the LTTE denied the SLA claim and said only 15 Tigers had died.

The LTTE said in a statement today that it was laying siege to the Elephant Pass base, having penetrated SLA defences at Kaddaikadu, Pullaveli, Vettilaikerni and Kilali.

SLA sources in Jaffna said the Iddaikaddu area close to the base complex had been captured by the LTTE but had no information on the other areas.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan security forces were conducting house to house searches in the coastal areas of Jaffna town since this evening, residents said.

SLA reinforcements were being sent to Elephant Pass from Jaffna, sources said, while SLA artillery at Achchelu in Jaffna has been maintaining an intense barrage towards the Elephant Pass and Paranthan areas, since early morning today.