Tigers escalate attacks in East

As fighting rages on in the north of Sri Lanka, LTTE units in the Eastern province have stepped up attacks against Sri Lankan forces in the region, with several ‘friendly fire’ incidents adding to the death toll.

 

Tuesday this week LTTE guerillas triggered a landmine at Sri Lankan soldiers on road patrol in Bakmitiyawa, 30 km southwest of Ampaa'rai Tuesday morning around 9:05 a.m. Two were killed and six wounded, three seriously.

 

On Saturday, three Special Task Force (STF) troopers were wounded in an LTTE booby trap explosion when they were on a search operation in Kagnchikudichchaa'ru area.

 

On Friday night, a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers lying in ambush in Vadamunai village in Koaralaippattu South District Secretariat’s administrative area, mistaking another group of SLA soldiers as Tamil Tigers, fired at the troopers, killing four of them.

 

The confrontation took place near Miniminththave’li, a border village in Batticaloa.

 

In August, 23 SLA troops were killed when LTTE cadres triggered a claymore device targeting troops traveling in a military vehicle in the same area.

 

Unidentified armed men in STF uniforms abducted Friday four Sinhala villagers who had gone to collect honey in Paa’namai Aa’lavai jungle area in Poththuvil police division in Ampaa’rai district, according to the complaint made Sunday to Poththuvil police by one of the four abductees who had managed to escape.

 

The jungle where the abduction took place is an area frequented by both STF commandos and Liberation Tigers, Pohthtuvil residents said.

 

Last week at least 10 Sri Lankan security personnel were killed and another 16 wounded in attacks carried out by LTTE forces in different locations.

 

On Thursday September 4, a claymore fragmentation mine wasexploded around 5:00 p.m at Aayiththiyamalai in Vavunatheevu police division in Batticaloa district, seriously injuring an STF commando, attached to 3rd Mile Post STF camp, who had gone to bathe in a well 200m from his camp.

 

A day earlier, two units of STF commandos, who were deployed in a search operation after an STF commando was slain on Tuesday by a LTTE laid booby trap at Udumpangkulam in Kagnchikudichchaaru area, mistakenly fired on each other. Three STF commandos were killed and four wounded.

 

The booby trap explosion, which took place around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, also caused injuries to 3 STF commandos.

 

The same day, four STF troopers were killed and two wounded at Sannasi Malaiyadi near Ukanthai, bordering Ampaarai and Hambantota districts in an LTTE ambush.

 

According to LTTE officials in Amparai, a Colt Commando rifle and a T-56 assault rifle with ammunition were seized by the Tigers.

 

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police said one STF sergeant and a home-guard were killed at a police point at 10th mile post in Paanama area.

 

In the latter attack, the Tigers said four hand grenades, four T-56 magazines, five Colt Commando magazines, 180 rounds for Colt Commando rifle and 150 rounds for T-56 rifles with Holsters and water cans were also seized by their fighters.

There were further STF casualties on the same day when STF commandoes got caught in the booby traps of the LTTE in Kanchkudichchaaru jungles in Ampaarai district

 

One STF commando was killed and three injured Monday morning. Another two were injured in the same manner the previous Monday evening, sources in Ampaarai said.

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