Tigers attack SLA-Police camp

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 July 2000, 14:21 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers attacked and destroyed a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) cum Police camp at 64th mile post in the Mutur area in the eastern Trincomalee District Sunday night, security sources said. A Police Sergeant was killed and a soldier was reported missing in the attack. Three soldiers who were injured in the attack have been admitted to the Mutur hospital, the sources said.

Remaining policemen and SLA soldiers vacated the camp in the initial phase of the attack.

The Tigers launched an intensive mortar attack on the camp around 7 p.m. Sunday, and brought it under their control after about 30 minutes, sources in the eastern town said.

The Tigers were in control of the camp for about 90 minutes. They destroyed all buildings of the camp before withdrawing. They have also ransacked camp's armory and other military equipment, the sources said.

The 64th mile post joint security camp is situated between Mutur town and 3rd mile post sentry on a hillock, about 3 km. south to the town sources said.

Two Liberation Tigers were killed in the attack, according to the sources.

In the eastern Batticaloa District, a soldier was wounded when the Liberation Tigers opened fire at a SLA patrol that was returning to Commanthurai camp after a routine route clearing operation. The incident happened at Vantharumoolai, about 20 km. north of Batticaloa on the Valaichenai road. The wounded soldier was identified as Karunasundera. He was admitted to the Batticaloa hospital, sources said.

In a separate incident four Special Task Force (STF) elite soldiers were injured by friendly fire when they caught in a fire-fight between the Sri Lanka Army soldiers and the Liberation Tigers at Periyakarisal, about 17 km. from Mannar on the Thalai Mannar road, around 4.30 p.m. Saturday.

A group of STF soldiers had gone to the area on hearing the fire-fight that had erupted between an SLA ambush unit and the Liberation Tigers Saturday, when they came under friendly fire, sources in Mannar said. The wounded STF solders were transported to the Anuradhapura hospital.

The STF and SLA soldiers in the area conducted a combined search operation on Saturday and Sunday, the sources said.