Log In | Register
COLOMBO — New fighting in northern Sri Lanka has killed 41 Tamil Tiger rebels and two soldiers, the military said Sunday.
Military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said the fighting Saturday occurred along the Vavuniya, Mannar and Welioya fronts.
In the worst clashes, 20 rebels and a soldier were killed in Vavuniya, he said. Seven Tigers and a soldier were killed in Mannar and 14 rebels died in Welioya, Nanayakkara said.
About 260 guerrillas have been killed in the past nine days, according to the military. It claims to be steadily moving into rebel territory, capturing villages and small towns and causing heavy casualties among the insurgents.
On Saturday, troops seized control of Parappakadanthan village in northern Mannar district.
Troops also captured Andankulam town in Mannar on Friday and a key supply base in Vavuniya district on Thursday that had been used to replenish the Tamil Tigers' front-line troops, the military said.
Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan could not be immediately reached for comment, and it was not possible to verify the military claims because reporters are barred from the war zone. The two sides often exaggerate the casualties inflicted upon their enemy and lower their own losses.
The Tamil Tiger rebels have fought since 1983 to create an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils who have faced marginalization by successive governments controlled by ethnic Sinhalese.
The government has vowed to crush the rebels and dismantle their de facto administration by the end of this year.
