Colombo, Jan 12: Sri Lankan fighter jets pounded
LTTE targets as ground forces pressed ahead to capture the
last Tamil Tiger bastion of Mullaittivu from the retreating
rebels, which suffered at least 26 casualties, officials said
on Monday.
Lankan MI-24 helicopter gunships and fighter jets made
precision air assaults at two identified Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) gathering points located in general area
Iranamadu, in support of the advancing TF-3 and 57 Division
troops this morning, the military said.
Kilinochchi town, 330-km from the capital, was overrun
by troops earlier this month and the rebels are now confined
to the jungle and lagoon district around Mullaittivu on Sri
Lanka's northeast coast.
According to Air Force spokesperson Wing Commander
Janaka Nanayakkara, MI-24 helicopter gunbships launched air
assaults at an LTTE gathering point located 1 km southeast of
the Iranamadu tank at around 8.15 am.
A separate air strike was launched by Lankan jets at
an LTTE gathering point located 2 km north of the Iranamadu
Tank near Kilinochchi this morning, the air force said.
The army has won a string of major victories over the
guerrillas in recent weeks, capturing their political capital
and taking hold of LTTE's main base on the Jaffna peninsula.
The military said they were ready to inflict a
"decisive blow" to the guerrillas after the capture of the
strategic Elephant Pass causeway linking the Jaffna peninsula
with the rest of the mainland.
The 57 Div troops engaged in clearing operations at
Kilinochchi have uncovered 4 anti-personnel (AP) mines
yesterday, security source said. Troops also destroyed an LTTE
bunker overhead constructed in general area Iranamadu.
According to military reports, at least 19 LTTE cadres
were killed and over a dozen injured during intermittent
clashes reported between troops of the 58 Division and LTTE in
separate locations, North of Vaddakkachchi and Velikkamdal in
Mullaittivu and Iranamadu (near Kilinochchi) yesterday.
Sri Lanka Army 58 Division advancing on the west-east
axis along the A-35 (Paranthan - Mullaittivu) made a
significant progress yesterday. Troops engaged remaining LTTE
hideouts in the North of Murusamoddai and Vaddakachchi areas
during the day, the Defence Ministry said.
Both LTTE fighters and the troops sustained damages in
four different clashes in the south east of Mulliyawely area
at Mullaittivu yesterday, the Media Centre for National
Security (MCNS) said.
Meanwhile LTTE cadres suffered damages in seven
different confrontations in the Puthukudurippu area in
Mullaittivu yesterday, it said, adding subsequently 2 bodies
of LTTE cadres were found from the area.
As many as 2 T-56 weapons, 2 jungle kits and 3850 T-56
ammunitions were recovered from the area.
Separately, troops confronted the tiger rebels at
Mudliyarkulam area in Mullaittivu and inflicted damages
yesterday, it said.
The Tamil Tiger rebels sustained damages during a
clash in the Katkulam area of Mullaittivu yesterday, the
military said, adding one Tamil Tiger cadre body and a T-56
weapon were recovered from the area. In 12 different
confrontations in Periyamuruppukulam area, army inflicted
damages on the rebels near Mullaittivu, it said.
Reports of fighting have increased in recent months
amid government's declaration to crush the group. The Tamil
Tigers have been fighting since 1983 for an independent state
for the minority ethnic Tamils, alleging marginalisation of
the community for decades by governments dominated by the
Sinhalese. Over 70,000 people have been killed in the civil
war in the Island nation.
Bureau Report