Grim details of last week’s bloody battle in the general area west of Omanthai emerged as four soldiers who had been earlier declared missing in action reached the army lines on Thursday night. They were among 28 soldiers reported missing after the LTTE struck on the night of June 2.
Although 24 personnel are unaccounted for, 18 of them are believed to have been killed according to a well informed source.
The military acknowledged the possibility of some of those missing in action being captured by the LTTE. That could not be ruled out, an authoritative military official said.
He explained that the multi-pronged assault was directed at small groups of troops operating far ahead of the army frontline. At some places, troops had been about 10 kms in front of the line, he said.
Speculation is that the LTTE after monitoring the movement of these troops for some time engaged them in the face of a heavy artillery and mortar barrage from army positions.
The Tiger assault spearheaded by a devastating artillery and mortar attack on Pompeimadu had caused sizeable material losses to the army. The Sunday Island learns that a direct hit on an artillery dump at Pompeimadu had destroyed approximately 300 rounds of ammunition. The LTTE also captured a locally built armoured personnel carrier.
The LTTE claimed the lives of 15 soldiers and inflicted injuries on 82, well informed sources said. Contrary to initial government claims, the LTTE obviously had the upper hand at the last week’s battle it was admitted. But the sources stressed that the Tigers too suffered heavy losses in retaliatory attacks.
The army called for air strikes in support of their efforts to regain and consolidate their positions in the area. The government also declined to accept 11 bodies sent by the LTTE on the basis that they could not be identified.
The UNP severely criticized the government action both in and outside parliament. Sirikotha accused the government of failing at least to deliver soldiers’ bodies to their families in a bid to hide actual losses. This charge was vehemently refuted.
The attack was the worst since a disastrous army offensive at Muhamalai last October caused heavy losses both in terms of men and material.
The military said that troops were continuing operations in areas west of Omanthai. "We killed two LTTE cadres Friday night," a spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the army killed at least 30 LTTE cadres at Pankudaveli (north) Narakkanmulla (south) in the Troppigala jungles during a multi-pronged assault on LTTE defences on Friday. An elite Commando Regiment spearheaded the assault, a senior military official said, adding that troops returned to their bases after completing the operation.
Troops targeted four bases at Ibbanvila, Veppanveli, Akkaraitivu and Mavediodai. One soldier died in action while 20 wounded personnel were moved to hospitals in the region. The official said that Friday’s action took place deep in the Thoppigala jungles. Three LTTE cadres committed suicide to avoid being captured by the army.
Troops recovered six multi purpose machine guns, four rocket propelled grenade launchers, 21 T 56 assault rifles and a sizeable stock of ammunition, a spokesman said.
(http://www.island.lk/2007/06/10/news3.html)
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