66 LTTE fighters among 74 killed in Lanka: army By T V Sriram

Colombo, Sept 4 (PTI) Fierce clashes in the embattled
Northern Sri Lanka killed at least 66 LTTE fighters and eight
security forces personnel, as the military said it was moving
to the rebel stronghold of Killinochchi.

"Battles in the Wanni front between troops and LTTE
militants have reached a decisive stage as LTTE are reported
struggling desperately to save Kilinochchi, following the loss
of its most strategic Mallavi garrison (in Mullaittivu-
Killinochchi area) to security forces Tuesday", the Defence
ministry said.

The fierce clashes came amid a punishing government
thrust into rebel-held territory in recent weeks that has
forced the Tamil Tigers to abandon large parts of their
territory, it said.

The Sri Lankan Air Force said it had damaged two LTTE
fighter boats that were anchored close to the Alampil Beach
near the Nayaru Lagoon in rebels stronghold of Mullaittivu
today. The strike was launched using fighter jets, it said.

While four LTTE rebels were killed in Nachchikuda in
Killinochchi, five soldiers also lost their lives during the
clashes in the region, the defence ministry said.

In separate incident, at least six LTTE cadres were
killed in Nachchikuda, the military said.

At the Killinochchi-Mullaittivu battlefront, West of
Akkarayankulam area, military confirmed heavy fighting was
taking place. As many as seven LTTE militants were gunned down
during clashes in Munchikulam area in the region Tuesday, the
Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.


At least seven LTTE rebels were killed in Navvakkulam in
Vavuniya Tuesday, the MCNS said. Seventeen Tamil Tiger cadres
were killed and 74 injured during the clashes in the area, the
ministry said, quoting it to Wanni military sources citing
intercepted LTTE communication.

In the general area of Kunchukkulama, Killinochchi, at
least 32 soldiers were injured during clashes, the defence
ministry said quoting sources.

At Andankulam in north-eastern Welioya, troops confirmed
killing six Tamil Tiger rebels and injuring four 4 militants
during Tuesday's confrontations with LTTE, the military said.

A Special Task Force (S.T.F.) trooper and a Civil
Security person was reported killed when a group of militants
opened fire targeting a security patrol at Helawa, Potuvil in
Eastern Sri Lanka this morning.

At least 19 LTTE cadres were killed and 23 others
reported wounded following intense fighting between troops and
the Tamil Tiger rebels at North of Palamodei general area in
the Vavuniya- Mullaittivu battlefront Tuesday, the military
said. One soldier lost his life in the incident, the MCNS
said.

Meanwhile, 15 LTTE male bodies and four bodies of female
cadre were handed over to the International Red Cross near
Vavuniya, the MCNS said.

It is difficult to verify the casualties independently
because journalists are banned from the war zone. Both sides
have been accused of exaggerating enemy casualties and
underreporting their own.

Reports of fighting have increased in recent months amid
government's declaration to crush the group by the end of the
year.

Fighting flared up after the government in January pulled
out of the 2002 cease-fire pact with the rebels.

Over 70,000 people have been killed in the civil war that
the LTTE has fought since 1983 for a separate state for the
Tamil minority community in the Island nation, alleging
marginalization of the community for decades by governments
dominated by the Sinhalese. PTI TVS