The Liberation Tigers Friday said they had repulsed two offensives by Sri Lankan security forces in Mannar district, in northern Sri Lanka, inflicting heavy casualties.
At least 25 Sri Lankan Army (SLA) soldiers were killed and more than 60 wounded when LTTE forces confronted the ground troops of the SLA on two fronts, at Palaikkuzhi and at the bund of Kaddukkarai Kulam, LTTE officials told media in Vanni.
At least three Forward Defence Line (FDL) positions of the Sri Lankan forces were destroyed during the fighting, they said.
LTTE field officials reported losing seven fighters in the clashes and said a dead body of a SLA soldier, four T-56 assault rifles, thirty-two magazines, four RPG shells, four propellers, PK-LMG rounds numbering 2595, four drum magazines, nine bullet-proof jackets, eight holsters, nine helmets and four box containers for PK-LMG rounds and two hand grenades were recovered in the clearing mission following hasty retrieval by the after sustaining heavy casualties.
The Sri Lankan military put their casualty figures at 3 killed and 32 wounded. The Tigers arranged to hand over the dead body of a SLA soldier through the ICRC.
Murungkan Police has handed over 3 dead bodies of LTTE female cadres to Mannar hospital, according to local reports.
Sri Lankan forces in Murungkan, Uyilangkulam, Vangkaalai, South Bar and Thallaadi military bases, directed heavy artillery barrages towards LTTE administered Vanni for most of Thursday.
All the SLA and Special Task Force troopers, heavily deployed along the Mannnaar Madawaachi road in recent days, had opened fire from their positions in Murungkan area, police sources said, alluding that the LTTE had launched a preemptive strike as the Sri Lankan army was readying for a ground offensive following an intensive artillery attack.
