Army-LTTE clash in Mannar - Heavy toll

The LTTE launched a pre dawn attack on an army detachment in Mannar yesterday resulting in scores of casualties on both sides though the toll could not be independently verified. The military said it had lost four troops in the three hour confrontation while the LTTE said four cadres were killed.

Both sides also claimed to have recovered a haul of weapons and ammunition following the confrontation, the first major attack to take place just a day after celebrations in Colombo to commemorate the liberation of the east.

The Defence Ministry said rebels launched the attack on the Army detachment at Neelachchena, Uyilankulam near the Forward Defence Lines in Mannar using mortars early yesterday . Security forces retaliated the rebel attempt inflicting heavy casualties on the LTTE, the Ministry said.

“It was a small detachment which came under mortar attack. They keep firing mortars. 3 soldiers were killed initially and one died later in hospital. 4 soldiers were also injured. We have cleared the area and recovered several weapons,” Military spokesman Prasad Samarasinghe told the Daily Mirror.

The Military, while claiming at least 9 rebels were killed and more than 24 injured also said it recovered three T-56 rifles, 13 T-56 Magazines, 355 T-56 Ammunition, three RPG bombs, three hand grenades, a stretcher, a water bottle and rubber slippers.

The injured troopers were admitted to the Anuradhapura hospital of whom two underwent emergency surgery, hospital sources said.

Meanwhile the rebels said a rapid deployment team of the LTTE raided a military minicamp at Neelachchena forcing troops to flee the area. LTTE military wing spokesman Rasiah Illentheriyan claimed ten government troops were killed adding that the rebels returned to bases following the clash.


The LTTE claimed to have recovered a medium machine gun, a light machine gun, a 60mm mortar, four assault rifles, and several rounds of ammunition. The rebels meanwhile also claimed that a eleven month old infant and his mother were injured as a result of retaliatory shelling from a military base in Thalladi, Alankulam in Mannar.

The LTTE also launched an attack on a security post on the Mannar – Vavuniya road on Thursday night injuring four security forces personnel, police said.

Meanwhile Brigadier Samarasinghe said that the bodies of 3 LTTE cadres killed in Narakamulla in the Thopigala confrontation was to be handed over to the ICRC yesterday. He also said that a further 5 were yet to be claimed by the LTTE.

Brigadier Samarasinghe also said that a part of the Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) recovered in Thoppigala earlier this week was also recovered in the same area yesterday.

(http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/07/21/front/1.asp)