Sri Lanka denies Paranthan loss

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 December 1999, 11:22 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence (MoD) today denied the southern defences of its base complex at Elephant Pass had been overrun by the Liberation Tigers and said "the claim is part of the LTTE disinformation campaign to deceive the local and international community."

In a statement today, the MoD said:

"The LTTE claim that they have brought under their control the entire Paranthan region which constitute the southern defence perimeter of the Elephant Pass base complex as per their News release on 21 December 1999 on the Tamil Net is totally untrue and is part of the LTTE disinformation campaign to deceive the local and international community."

"Confrontations are continuing East of Elephant Pass and the Security Forces have successfully beaten back all attempts to breach the defences by the terrorists causing heavy casualties to them. Security forces are in full control of the area and are continuing the operations in general area of Paranthan and towards South."

In a statement faxed to international news agencies and media organisations on December 21, the LTTE said:

"The well-fortified defences around the southern sector of Elephant Pass military complex have crumbled following the fall of two more military bases to the LTTE in the area between Paranthan and Elephant Pass."

"With the fall of these two bases, the entire Paranthan region, which constituted the southern defence perimeter of the Elephant Pass base complex, has been brought under the control of the LTTE," the statement said.

Officials at the LTTE's International Secretariat in London when contacted today by TamilNet regarding the MoD's denial, insisted LTTE forces had taken control of the Paranthan area as stated on their press release of December 21.

"It is the Sri Lankan government which is conducting a disinformation campaign behind media censorship in an effort to conceal their heavy losses from the international community," they said.