Fighting in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 August 2001, 00:46 GMT]
Heavy fighting erupted in the Muhamalai area, in the southern sector of the Jaffna peninsula when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops backed by tanks, artillery and air cover launched an operation along A-9 main road. The SLA offensive that began at around 5.30 a.m. Sunday was repulsed, the Voice of Tigers radio said.

Reports from Jaffna said Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopters were seen flying sorties towards the front to the south.

The VoT radio said the SLA suffered several casualties and that one LTTE fighter was killed in the three pronged advance by government troops. The radio identified the dead LTTE members as 2nd Lt. Kandeepan (Balakrishnan Senthuran of Jaffna).

However, the SLA said Sunday morning that 6 LTTE members were killed and 9 wounded in the fighting which it described as “a limited operation.”. It said 12 soldiers were wounded in the fighting.

Meanwhile two soldiers were wounded when the Liberation Tigers shelled SLA defence posts at Pampaimadhu, on the Mannar-Vavuniya road, Saturday, army sources said. The wounded troops were transported to Anuradhapura hospital, according to army sources. The SLA retaliated by firing shells on suspected LTTE positions.