The Liberation Tigers and Sri Lankan government blamed each other Friday for a flare-up of the conflict in Amparai.
Sri Lankan Special Task Force (STF) troopers launched a pre-dawn offensive into Liberation Tigers territory in Amparai Thursday, the LTTE said. "The STF ground troopers have moved in 6 km into our territory inside Kanchikudicharu," said LTTE Amparai District Political Head S. Jeya.
The Liberation Tigers fighters were engaged in defensive clashes with the STF troopers, according to the Tiger political head of the Amparai district.
The STF on Thursday regained areas in the Ampara district, bringing them under government control for the first time in 20 years, reported the Sunday Times newspaper.
"LTTE terrorists launched artillery and mortar shells towards the police Special Task Force (STF) defences," at Kandjikudiaru in Ampara, the defence ministry said. It said there were no reports of casualties in the overnight artillery exchanges.
The STF was targeting villages in the area surrounding Kanchikudichcharu with artillery shelling from Thirukkovil, Sahama and Kanjirankudah camps and Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers were also targeting the villages.
Kanchikudicharu villagers have fled inwards into other villages via Santhanaru. Some civilian houses have been burnt down by the STF troopers who advanced into Kanchikudicharu, the Tigers said.
The LTTE Amparai District political head has complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission that the STF offensive was a major violation of the Ceasefire Agreement.
