Clashes continued in Mannar over the past two weeks, with over eighty fighters killed in the region according to the claims by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers.
On Saturday January 19, a massive ground operation, by the SLA against LTTE bases in Paalaikuli and Adampan, was defeated after fierce resistance by LTTE cadres.
The initial SLA offensive commenced in the morning when the SLA attempted to penetrate into LTTE-held areas in Paalaikuli with the support of artillery fire. But the Sri Lankan military was unable to face the stiff resistance from LTTE cadres and withdrew to their camps with heavy losses.
The troops staged a second attack in the afternoon in Adampan area supported by heavy artillery fire. After a 20 minute intense duel, the SLA troops were once again forced to withdraw with losses.
Apart from these two offensives SLA also staged intensive artillery attacks in Mullikkulam and Thampanai areas. The SLA attacks were abnormally intensive, TamilNet reported.
Last Wednesday, a SLA unit that was lured into a booby-trapped minefield in Mullikkulam abandoned its ground movement. Meanwhile, a group of SLA soldiers engaged in setting up claymore mines in the area were counter-attacked by the Tigers.
Two claymore mines with remote controls and explosives were seized in the LTTE's clearing mission, without LTTE casualties.
On January 14, the LTTE claimed to have thwarted a major SLA push into Parappaangkandal. The SLA movement was thwarted after almost 8-hours of stiff resistance.
At least 30 SLA soldiers were killed and more than 100 soldiers were wounded, the Tigers said. One SLA dead body was recovered by the Tigers who seized three AK-LMG guns, one RPG, two disposable Light Anti-tank Weapons and five T-56 type-2 assault rifles. 10 military kit-bags, explosives and rounds were also seized in the clearing mission after the fighting. Three LTTE fighters were killed in action.
Bullet and artillery riddled bodies of SLA soldiers were seen across the field in decomposed state, the Mannar command of the LTTE told media in Vanni.
On January 12 a two pronged ground movement by the SLA was thwarted at one front in Pandivirichchan by the Tamil Tigers after almost 6-hours heavy fighting in which 17 SLA soldiers and five LTTE fighters were killed. Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) helicopters landed at least 10 times, transporting wounded soldiers from the SLA defence line.
Meanwhile, three SLA soldiers were killed in Vilaathikkulam fighting a day earlier when a group of retreating soldiers ran into a booby trap. Many soldiers were wounded as an SLA unit had entered the booby trapped area, the Tigers said.
Another clash was reported in Mullikkulam when a SLA unit attempted to infiltrate LTTE controlled territory. There were no Tiger casualties in that clash, according to the LTTE.
Also on January 11there were heavy clashes on two fronts in Mannar when the SLA launched ground movement towards Uyilangkulam in Mannar and towards Paalamoaddai along the Vavuniya - Mannar border. The SLA units were pushed back to their old positions after counter attacks that were carried out amid heavy artillery fire, the LTTE said. The SLA sustained heavy casualties in Uyilangkulam, the Tigers said. The SLA claimed 13 Tigers were killed in Uyilangkulam fighting, and handed over 3 dead bodies of females to Murungkan Police claiming that the bodies belonged to LTTE fighters.
The Sri Lanka Army has handed over three dead bodies of females to Murungkan police Friday noon with gunshot wounds to their heads, with their hands and feet tied, saying that the females were LTTE fighters. The bodies were recovered in a search operation in Periya Neelaava'nai, the SLA officials told the police.
One SLA soldier was killed and many wounded in the counter attack that lasted for 25 minutes at Paalamoaddai where LTTE had no casualties, the Tigers said.
Previously, on January 8, the LTTE thwarted a ground movement by the SLA at Mullikkulam after 3 hours stiff resistance by the Tigers. The LTTE claimed ten soldiers were killed in the clash. Another four SLA soldiers were killed, trapped in a booby trap, while they were retreating with their casualties, the LTTE said.
Around 40 SLA troops were wounded, according to the LTTE claim. There were no Tiger casualties, they said. But, the SLA claimed that they had killed six LTTE fighters when the Tigers attempted to enter an area under SLA control. The SLA claimed to have thwarted "pockets of LTTE resistance" in the area.
The Tigers said the SLA used heavy artillery, including Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) fire. Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir fighters also engaged in air strikes in support of the SLA troop movement. The SLA pulled back after sustaining heavy casualties, according the LTTE claim.
