LTTE suffer heavy casualties

BATTICALOA: Troops in Batticaloa yesterday retaliated LTTE attacks on Security Forces' defences after effectively engaging their positions in Panichchankerni area inflicting heavy casualties on the terrorists while Naval troops destroyed eight Tiger boats in separate clashes in the North and East.

Military Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe told the Daily News that troops observed more than 25 LTTE bodies strewn in the area ahead of the Mankerni Forward Defence Line following last mornings encounter.

"Security Forces engaged LTTE positions in Panichchankerni and Vakarai forcing them to vacate the Panichchankerni area and neutralising their recently established mortar and artillery following their setback in Sampur," the Brigadier added.

The LTTE initiated the offensive attacks at troops at Mankerni area early yesterday causing damages to the Security Forces' defences and injuring eight soldiers.

"Two were in critical conditions," the Brigadier added.

He said the fleeing Tigers also destroyed the Panichchankerni bridge, the only route available for more than 30,000 civilians stranded in the uncleared areas of Vakarai.

Meanwhile, ground based troops supported by Navy gun boats engaged the newly built Sea Tiger camps and bunker lines West of Muttur with Multi-Barrel Rocker Launchers and artillery guns last evening.

"The Security Forces engaged those LTTE positions to counter the threats on the Trincomalee harbour," the Brigadier added.

Security Forces launched attacks last evening following intelligence reports that cited a strong Tiger terrorist build up in the area.

"Intelligence reports revealed that Sea Tigers were constructing new camps in Upparu and Ralkuli areas, west of Muttur to launch suicide boat attacks targeting the Trincomalee harbour," the Media Centre for National Security said.

Security Forces also destroyed six Tiger boats suspected of transporting fuel by sea near the Pallaithivu islet close to the Mandathivu islands in Jaffna.

"A suspected oil storage facility on the islet caught fire and was destroyed by the artillery fired by the soldiers from the ground," sources added.

In another incident, Naval troops engaged five Sea Tiger boats, destroying two completely which were reinforcing the LTTE cadres in Vakarai area around 10.30 last morning in the sea off Kathirveli.