The Tamil Tigers have stepped up attacks on the Sri Lankan security forces in the east of the island, barely two months after the government declared that the LTTE had been completely driven away from the region.
In the last past two weeks thirteen commandos from the Special Task Force (STF), an elite police unit have been killed and at least six injured in separate attacks by LTTE guerillas.
Military analyst Iqbal Athaas writing in the Sunday Times newspaper this week says small groups of guerrilla cadres, mostly intelligence operatives, continue to operate in parts of the Batticaloa district and parts of Trincomalee north.
On Monday September 17, LTTE fighters ambushed an STF patrol unit =around 9:40 am at Bakmitiyawa in Ampaarai district, killing two and seriously injuring three of the troops.
On the same day, three STF troops were injured when their unit began an operation around 8:00 am in an attempt to penetrate into LTTE held territory in Ampaarai district, assisted by heavy artillery and mortar fire said LTTE District Political Head of Ampaarai, Kaviyarasan.
Exchange of fire between the STF and the LTTE continued into Tuesday Kaviyarasan added.
The bodies of the troopers killed were handed over to Ampaarai base hospital.
In the previous week, eleven STF troopers were killed and four others were injured in four separate LTTE attacks in Ampaarai district on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Kaviyarasan told media on Friday last week.
Two STF troopers were killed and two others injured when a claymore exploded near a tractor carrying STF personnel at Kagnchikkudichchaa'ru around 5:30 am Friday. The tractor was completely destroyed.
In another incident, one STF soldier were killed when a unit attempting to infiltrate into the LTTE controlled territory at Vammiyadi Friday came under fire. Two soldiers were also were injured in the incident.
Meanwhile, a STF foot patrol came under attack at Rubesh Kulam around 10:15 a.m. Thursday where two more STF troopers were killed.
Four STF troopers were killed and two seriously injured when another STF foot patrol came under attack at Bakmitiyawa around 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday. The injured troopers later succumbed to injuries later.
LTTE said its fighters suffered no casualties in any of the attacks.
