Tuesday, December 25, 2007

4 killed in Lanka; army captures part of Thampane

At least 52 LTTE militants have been killed in gunbattles between security forces and the rebels in Sri Lanka's embattled north, where the Army captured a portion of the rebel-held Thampane area.

Elsewhere two civilians also lost their lives in attacks by suspected tiger rebels, the army said on Tuesday.

"We on Monday night moved in about one km inside Thampane and one of the camps which was taken control of could accommodate 300 LTTE militants," a ministry spokesman said.

In two other areas of Thampane, the troops moved in about 300 metres and 500 metres respectively, the spokesman said, adding this was the fourth major success for Army during the last few days.

Last week, the Army said it had captured a key LTTE post named 'Vitenam Base', hours after taking control of two defence lines in the region.

Delayed reports on Tuesday said during the capture of Uyilanakulam LTTE entry-exit point on Saturday at least 22 militants were killed, the army said

"This information has been confirmed through intercepted LTTE communication", it said.

Five rebels were killed on Tuesday when troops confronted a group of tiger militants in Vilatikulam in Northern Vavuniya.

In Kallikulam, troops confronted a group of tigersand killed three rebels, the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) said.

Two soldiers sustained injuries in an Anti Personal Mine explosion in Periyathampanai in Vavuniya this evening, it said.

Two civilians were shot dead by unidentified gunmen near the sluice gate at Ragendrakulamtam tank in Vavuniya on Monday.

A LTTE local leader was killed in Vinayagapuram in Eastern Ampara on Monday, the MCNS said.

Two rebels were killed in a confrontation with Army troops at Kandaperiiyakulam in Mannar on Monday.

Five militants were killed in three separate incidents ---Pokkaravani, Paripittanmodai and Narikkulam-- in Vavuniya-Mannar border on Monday, the Defence Ministry said.

Ten LTTE rebels, including two regional leaders of the outfit, were killed on Monday in confrontations with troops at Kandaperumakulama, Pokkaravani and Navatkulama areas in Vavunia, it said.

In Mannar region, security forces attacked a bunker manned by the LTTE in the south of Adampan area, killing two LTTE cadres on Monday, the ministry said.

In another incident, troops destroyed two bunkers in Kilaly and Nagarkovil in Jaffna, killing two tiger cadres, it added.

The pro-rebel Tamilnet website, meanwhile, claimed that a Sri Lankan soldier was killed and 28 troops injured in three separate clashes in Mannar on Sunday.

"According to reports received from Mannar operations commanders of LTTE, no casualties among LTTE cadres were reported," it said.

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