Heavy fighting near Iyakkachchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 December 1999, 07:41 GMT]
Heavy fighting erupted yesterday between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers in Sangaththaar Vayal and Koil Vayal, close to Iyakkachchi, north of the Elephant Pass base complex sources in Jaffna said.

The fighting had erupted when units of the LTTE attacked SLA positions in the area according to the sources. Sangaththaar Vayal is about 1.5 kilometres from Iyakkachchi and Koil Vayal is about 3.5 kilometres from the latter.

Meanwhile the Tigers shelled the army's artillery base near the Chavakachcheri cemetery from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. yesterday. Two soldiers were slightly wounded in the attack. SLA sources said there was no damage to the base. The Tigers had fired artillery rounds from the direction of Pooneryn sources said.

The Tigers had also fired artillery and mortar on the SLA in Thanangkilappu and Koilaakandy, six kilometres south-east of Jaffna town by the coast of the lagoon from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. yesterday.

According to unconfirmed reports, a tracked armoured vehicle was damaged and ten soldiers were killed in the attack. Thirty were wounded the reports said.

Meanwhile, Colombo national hospital sources said that 170 wounded soldiers were brought to Colombo from the northern front last night. Of these 45 have been admitted to the National hospital.