Twenty terrorists killed in the Mannar area

  Seven (07) terrorists were killed during operations conducted  in the MANNAR area  on Wednesday (13). Of them , three (03) were killed in a confrontation in KATTANKULAM area at 5.50 p.m., one in the NEDUNKANDAL area  at 11.25 in the morning and three (03) were killed when Troops attack and completely destroyed  two LTTE terrorist bunkers at SIRIKULAM around 5.00 p.m.

Two soldiers were also reported injured in the operations conducted on Wednesday (13) in the KALLIKULAM AREA, MANNAR. A soldier was injured around 9.00 in the morning while the other was injured in the same area in the night at 8.45.

Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic clergy in MANNAR had requested the Army base in THALLADI MANNAR to help in the clearing of the heavy undergrowth around St. Sebastians'  Church  in view of the annual festival in the near future .The Army had readily obliged  and undertaken the task  to help the Church authorities in the clearing work   However the terrorists took the opportunity to target the soldiers in the work party involved in clearing the Church premises with artillery fire. Six soldiers were killed by the terrorist fire and while ten were injured.

Intercepted LTTE communications reveal that 13 terrorists were killed Tuesday (12) when the Army fired Artillery in retaliation to LTTE artillery fire targeting soldiers who were clearing the premises of St. Sebastian Church, near THALLADI CAMP , MANNAR  at the request of the Catholic Clergy.